elisa ann lindstrom

Just a thought:

2012-01-30T21:34:00.000-06:00


The Amber Field copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

-Thomas Merton

Solitude Sunday: At the farm

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Friday Fluff: because fluff is totally underrated

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

This weeks Friday Fluff is all about: questions a 4 (or 14) year old would ask you

Do you have a crush right now?

Which flavor? Orange? That's pretty good stuff. No, I don't have an Orange Crush. I could totally go for one right about now though. 

What is your favorite color?

Rainbow*

*reference to a scene in 30 Rock

What about your favorite animal?

You know, I really think my daughter would have more fun answering these questions. She's 3. Her favorite animal is a lion... no, a penguin. My mistake.

Choose one ... ;) =) >:D :-{D

What is this? Okay well, I'll pretend to be up to date on all of these things. I'll choose ) 

Did you ever have an F on your report card?

Okay a 4 year old wouldn't ask this question but a 14 year old would.

What about straight A's

I don't think so.

If you could go back in time and change one thing that you did, what would it be? 

I honestly believe that everything. EVERYTHING we did no matter how embarrassing, foolish or whatever changed us in ways that make us who we are today. So, no, I do not want to go back in time and change anything.

Do you enjoy singing?

Yes, every night to my daughter. 

If so, has anyone ever told you that you can sing well?

No and I don't look forward to the day my daughter realizes this and asks me to stop. 

Again...Choose one...<3 , ><> , * , @(^_^)@

Darn! This is really hard. I can't keep on choosing these! Okay, how about @

Are you listening to music right now?

No

If so, what song are you listening to? 

If not, what song do you WANT to be listening to?

There is this David Gray song that has been haunting me all day but I could also go for some Adele right about now.

What is your favorite subject in school?

(I'll give you a hint: look at the rest of this blog.)

What is the month of your birthday?

Saturday. What? That's not a month?

Do you like country music?

Sometimes.

What about rock?

Sometimes.

....rap?

Sometimes... (not really but I'll say so to look cool, you know)

If you had to eat one fruit for a month straight...what would it be? oranges, bananas, grapes, apples, or kiwi? (or other)

That would be hell. Really. By day 20 I'm sure I'd hate myself for picking whatever fruit it was and would be wishing I could eat any other fruit that day. If I absolutely had it it would be pears.

Do you like roses or tulips better?

Tulips. 

QUICK THINK OF A NAME!!!


I got this from a friend on Facebook. I don't know the original source.

(by the way, I'm totally giggling over here)

Was the name that you just thought of a member of your family?

No. We're not related... or are we? 

What about a close friend?

No, we stopped being BFF a while ago. There was a whole situation at Denny's. I don't want to get into it. 

Ok...what about your crush?

No, I don't have a crush on her. 

Do you watch SpongeBob?

No way. 

What is the name of your best friend?

Wasn't this question in the last Friday Fluff I did? 

Do you like fish or chicken more? 

Depends on what the dish is.  

Are you a vegatarian? 

Nope. 

What about your steak...Rare, Medium, or Well done (for me ... well done :P)

If someone is a vegetarian, I don't think they would like steak at all.

Did you like this random survey?

Um... sure.

Last thing.....Pick a # out of these... 1,2,4,7,14

Is this a lotto question because I don't usually win those. 

To take this quiz go to: Quizopolis

To get linky with it visit: SeekingElevation

Ode to my good friends near & far:

2012-01-25T15:21:00.000-06:00

from pumpkinandbutterfly on Etsy

I love this print. It's just so upbeat I had to share it with you.

Pumpkinandbutterfly is a really neat shop on Etsy filled with inspiring, fun and kid friendly prints. If you've never seen it, check it out here. 

A special shoutout to my superfly friend & fellow blogger LucidLotus

I just took the Simple Living Pledge and you should too if...

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

...you want to:

Find happiness in the everyday
Live your life more mindfully/being present in the moment
Live a healthier life (for your mind, body and spirit)
Work to be more green/environmentally friendly
(you can find more reasons here)

A few weeks ago I got an email from Kanelstrand asking me to join in on the Simple Living Pledge. Who/What is Kanelstrand you ask? Well, it's an awesome blog whose main goal is to encourage simple living. You can find out more about about the blog here.

Since this is so in tune with my core beliefs, signing up was a no-brainer. The challenge starts on February 1st and goes for 3 weeks. I'll be joining the discussions over on her blog but I may also post on this blog about this challenge and how it's changing my life. I am so excited to be a part of this challenge on Kanelstrand and I hope you will join me.

Check it out & join here

Solitude Sunday: just quiet

2012-01-22T07:30:00.000-06:00


copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Solitude Sunday: Winter View

2012-01-15T07:30:00.000-06:00

What I'm working on today: winter trees

2012-01-10T13:06:00.001-06:00

More of the "Winter Connections" collection. The first of this set is shown in the upper left corner. I've kept it at the table to refer to it as I work on the two new ones. Each piece has been colored at different times so they will each have different blue backgrounds. When I do a set of pieces, I usually have the colors be as consistent as possible. Since these ones won't be, it's making me a bit uncomfortable (which is probably a good thing). I am hoping to get them done by Thursday.

Solitude Sunday: The quiet in winter

2012-01-08T07:30:00.000-06:00


copyright elisa ann lindstrom

It's another fun filled edition of Friday Fluff!

2012-01-06T10:13:00.000-06:00

Because being terribly silly is one of the most important things one can do on a Friday: 

*please note that any misspellings in the question (or lack of verbs etc) are all from the original quizmaker. 

 **it is also important to note that any misspellings in the answer question are purely mine and I take 100% pride in my poor spelling abilities and grammatical errors.

Do you like pandas? 

That's like saying "Do you like kittens & puppies". Who doesn't like pandas? 

How many puzzles have you done in your whole life?

Are we including Sudoku? What about crosswords? Regular puzzles? What about puzzles that I helping my daughter finish? I have a feeling this puzzle list will get pretty long.

Where would you rather live: Africa or India?

Africa is kind of big and there are lots of choices of where to be and what climate to live in etc. However, India has saag, chana, paneer and warm roti. Food wins. Not that I wouldn't love to have some really good Ethiopian food... or Moroccan food... or...

How many asian friends do you have?

Do husbands count? What about husband's friends? (the numbers could double, even triple this way)

Do you miss someone who you cannot see? Who?

I have friends all over that I haven't seen in months & years. Do I miss them? Terribly.

How many text messages are in your inbox?

Clearly this question is intended for people who have fancy-shmancy phones and are able to/want to text all of the time. Since my phone is totally low tech and it takes longer to text "hi how are you" than to boil water, make a cup of tea and let it sit for 2 minutes, I'm not sure I really need to answer. But to be a good sport, I'll say probably under 10. (Hint: if you have my cell number and you wanted to text me, it would be faster to just call. Trust me.)

How many of the opposite gender did you talk to today? 

How many what of the opposite gender did I talk to today? I'm going to just go with the question being how many people of the opposite gender did I talk to today: 4 and a half.

Who was the last person that poked you?

Is this a Facebook question? Because I don't play those games on Facebook. 

Who was the last person that you took a picture with?

I'd guess it was my daughter.

Do you like gloomy bear?

Huh?

What's your opinion about  

Seriously, that was the question. Since it's a free-for-all:

My opinion about people who throw perfectly recyclable items (ie soda cans, magazines) in the trash when the city I live in has an excellent recycling program is not a nice one. So I won't post it. Especially since the people who I'm referring to live in my building and although I think everyone in the condo is super nice and friendly, I'd really like it if they got up to speed on how many items we can recycle (a lot) and how many we have to throw away (not a lot). 

How often do you eat instant noodles?

It depends on how much we want to "remember the old days" 

Who is your most hated teacher?

I honestly don't remember. I could tell you some of my favorite teachers of all time but I think I've totally blocked memories of my least favorite teachers.

Would you be willing to say a poem in the Talen Show?

What's a talen show? 

What's up?

Dude!

What's your favorite flavor of jello?

Key lime which I put in the key lime pie recipe my husband likes. 

Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook?

Google+ where have you been? Just kidding. I'm barely on Google+. I think Twitter. I used to be in love with Facebook but the affair has gone south.

Who's your best friend today?

"Z" aka lovie. Yesterday it was my mom and the day before that it was George (as in Curious George)... oh wait, you're asking who MY best friend is for the day? I thought you were asking about my daughter's best friend.  

How many people are you talking to on Instant Messenger?

Zero. But, I have three people on my Skype addresses. Aren't I cool?  

Do you eat beef?

Yes, but only grass fed. Don't be surprised, if you read the answer to the question "what's your opinion about..." You should have known it was going to be grass fed beef or I was going to be a vegetarian (which I've been) 

Apple or Microsoft?

Apple right now but I've been known to waver.

Do you think Nike is expensive?

Nike what? Clothes? Shoes? Gym bags? Nike seems to be at the same price range of other major sporting good companies. So, no, I don't think it's expensive.

Is your sibling fat?

Kinda random question... but most of the questions on this quiz have had no relation to each other. No, my brother is not fat.

What's your favorite number?

5.

(the end) 

Wondering where all of these awesome questions came from? You can check it out here.

Become a linky at: http://www.seekingelevation.com/2012/01/friday-fluff.html

Solitude Sunday: Happy New Year

2012-01-01T07:30:00.000-06:00

Wishing you a year full of

peace and happiness.

Happy New Year

About generosity:

2011-12-27T08:51:00.000-06:00

Cluster copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“Real generositytoward the future lies in giving all to the present”. -AlbertCamus

Put on yer Santa hat, grab yourself a cup of egg nog & turn on that fake fire folks, it's Friday Fluff: Christmas Edition

2011-12-22T22:11:00.002-06:00

HoHoHo Here we go: 

Get kissed under the mistletoe or in the snow?

Okay let's get this straight: mistletoe is usually hung in a nice warm (hopefully comfortable) home. Snow is outside in the cold and possibly found a way to get into your boots so you have soggy socks.  That being said, snow is: much less cheesy to be kissed under; more spontaneous; and more romantic. 

My vote: Snow

Santa or Rudolph?

Don't you know Rudolph isn't real?

Stocking or presents?

Presents come in stockings. 

My vote: stockings 

Egg nog or hot cider?

True story: I poured myself a cup of egg nog recently. I had one sip. Sip. Couldn't drink the rest. That stuff isn't right. It's just not right. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I don't know. Hot Cider all the way for me. 

Angel or star?

Stars are pretty but Angels are where it's at. Without a doubt they have helped me out in so many ways. 

Decorating the tree or putting lights on the outside?

Okay, let me explain something: I live in Chicago. Putting lights up outside is completely and totally not appealing to me unless we move south somewhere. I'm just being honest here. 

 Warm cozy fires or sleigh rides?

My vote: 

Family time or friend time?

 Which side of the family are we talking about? 

 Expensive presents or presents that come from the heart?

Well who says presents that come from the heart aren't ever expensive? 

Snow ball fight or snowman?

 I'm a lover not a fighter... I also don't have a great pitching arm.

 Coal or present?

Really? I'm supposed to answer this? Who would say coal?

Open presents quick or slow?

 I think the only people in this world who open presents quick are under the age of 10. They do this because they seriously can't wait to see what's next. I love that enthusiasm but since I'm probably getting half the presents they are and I'd actually like to see what I'm getting and appreciate the thought and time it took for each one, I'd have to say slow.

 Caroling or christmas stories?

As in caroling from house to house? Mmmmm.... Christmas stories.

Snowy days or ice days?

 Really? Who is going to say ice days? The same person who likes coal? Who wants to walk around with ice all over the sidewalks and seriously cold weather? At least with a snow day it looks pretty for a while and you can go out and make snowman, snow angels and maybe have a snowball fight.

Red or Green?

 How about giving a little Hanukkah love? My vote: blue and silver!

 All right everyone: Have a great weekend! 

This lovely quiz can be found here.

You can join the linky movement here.

On miracles:

2011-12-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

Parsley copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“There are only twoways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is asthough everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Woohoo! It’s another edition of Friday Fluff!

2011-12-15T20:56:00.000-06:00

Becauseanswering these questions makes me realize it’s been a long time since I was ateenager…

Haveyou ever smoked?

Smoked what?Can you be a little more specific here?

Haveyou been caught doing something bad?
Perhaps. But that was a long time ago and my memory is failing me on thedetails. 

Havethe police ever written you a ticket?
No. I have been given a warning though.

*Justa little heads up: don’t drive over the speed limit through the mountains in Pennsylvania.

Haveyou been to the police station?
Is there only one? Yes, I have been to a police station. There is a reallyawesome police officer there who checks to make sure your car seat is secure. Ilove the guy…. Okay maybe love is a bit much… I think this guy is awesome. 

Haveyou been to jail?
Nope. 

Whatsthe most crazy trouble you have been in?
Um… 

Doyou hate the people who got you in to trouble?
Well, let’s be a little honest here, we are in charge of our own actions right?So, do I hate myself? No.

Whatsit like at your house?

It’slike a real party. I just got my daughter in bed and now I’m working away at thecomputer (while my husband grades papers). And maybe, just maybeI’ll watch a little TV or paint. I’m telling you, it’s wild over here.

Haveyou ever thought of running away?
When I was 3, I had my bag packed and everything. Now? Not so much.

Howdo you think you would live on the streets?

How?How would I live on the streets? I have no idea. Honestly, I hope that is never something I have to encounter and I feel for everyone who does live on the streets.

Couldyou even live without your cell phone?
Like I said at the intro of this quiz, I seriously feel old. I hardly even usemy cell phone. Call me on the old rotary, thank you. 

Howlong could you go without food?
Now you’re just talking crazy. 

Wouldyou be able to live in the cold?
Okay, dude, I live in Chicago. Have you ever lived through a Chicago winter?Enough said. 

Whatdo you think jail would be like?

Jailwould be this awesome place where everyone got to eat cupcakes, read theirfavorite books, get spa treatments and just relax… oh wait… you said JAIL didn’tyou?

Whatsthe most outragoius thing you thought about doing?
I don’t think I think many outragoius thoughts.

Wanna do this quiz too? You can find it here.

And if you want to be a part of a linky, here's the link to that linky ...link

On mental wellness:

2011-12-13T09:03:00.000-06:00

580 Gaze copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“The ability to bein the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” –AbrahamManslow

Drawings that are still available:

2011-12-12T20:50:00.000-06:00

A number of people have asked me about some of the drawingsI took off of my Etsy shop last spring when I introduced Sketches on Canvas. Ithought I’d put them up here so you can take a look if you were interested inbuying one but didn’t get a chance before they were removed.  If you are interested in purchasing any of them,please feel free to contact me through my Etsy shop at elisaann.etsy.com oremail me at info (at) elisaannlindstrom (dot) com. I will be more than happy to re-list them just for you.

Each drawing comes matted in a single acid free mat and will be sent with foam core backing in a heavy duty acid free clear bag (to protect it in shipping & storage).

Small pieces are: 

$45 each (USD) + shipping & handling

Size of drawing: 7" x 5” (17.8 x 12.7 cm)
Size of mat: 14" x 11” (35.6 x 27.9 cm)

Autumn Dream copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Community copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Soloist copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Thanksgiving Birds copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Where To Begin copyright elisa ann lindstrom

The Tale copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Large pieces are: 

$60 (USD) + shipping & handling

Size: 8” x 10” (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Size of mat: 14” x 16” (35.6 x 40.6 cm)

Cardinals Across copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Family Lines copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Hold onto your hats, kids. It's another edition of Friday Fluff

2011-12-09T07:26:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun with Friday Fluff last week that I joined LucidLotus and SeekingElevation again on this weeks quest for answers to very important questions. Here we go:

If a blind woman/man started hitting on you, what would youdo? 

Let them knowthat I’m married (and very much in love) and therefore not interested in asnice a way as I could.  This wouldbe the case with anyone, not just a blind woman/man
 

If your dog peed on your crushes leg, would you beembarrassed?

For the dog ormy “crush”?
 

If you had to choose what your mother would wear for therest of her life, would you?

No, it keepsour relationship calmer if we don’t discuss the clothes we wear … I’m serious.
 

If your best-friend told you that she was going to get a newhaircut, that you thought was ugly, would you try to tell her not to?
Usually my friends and I don’t talk about what haircut we’re going to get, it’smore like we see the new haircut after it’s been cut. There’s no turning backthen.  

Do you believe in abortion? Why or why not?

Hmmmm… is thislike do I believe in elves or gnomes?
 

If you were outside and a red car drove by and startedshooting up your block while little children were playing outside, would yousave the children if it meant possibly killing yourself?

Yes, but onlyif it’s a red car.
 

If you were walking on the street and you saw a homeless mansitting on a cardboard box, would you give him some money if you had justgotten your paycheck? Or would you keep walking?

I think itdepends if I have cash on me or not.
 

What would you do if you found out your best-friend stole oneof your mom's diamond necklaces?

Okay, first ofall, I don’t think my mom has any diamond necklaces. Also, why is my bestfriend hanging out at my parent’s house?  I don’t live there.  Really. Is there something I should know about?

If you had a chance to make $200, only, buy stripping fortruckers on a corner, would you?

Okay. Wait. AmI selling “stripping” or buying “stripping”? And why would someone strip on acorner?
 

If you get into a fight, or think you might, do you throwthe first punch?

It depends, amI getting into a fight with a trucker who I’m either buying or selling“stripping” to?
 

If yes, did you know that if you throw the first punch andthey person you hit would call the police, you could get a big fine, orarrested?

I did not knowthat. I totally do not watch TV and did not see that on every crime drama outthere.
 

Would you smoke if it meant getting $30, or do you smokeanyways?

First of all Imust say that I’ve got some serious asthma issues. So, you want me to possiblymess up my lungs more, most likely give my daughter something from breathing in2nd hand smoke AND deal with that awful smell all day? I can get allthat lovely stuff and get $30?
 

What would you do if somebody that you didn't know mentionedsomething about possibly killing themselves?
In all seriousness: Since I am anex-therapist/social worker, I would feel more than a bit compelled to make surethat this person was safe. Meaning: I would most likely tell a social worker,police officer (etc.) who would be able to take the appropriate steps to bringthis person to the hospital for a suicide evaluation. 

Would you run down the street naked if it meant earning$150?
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. …no.

Do you consider yourself daring? Tell me of one experiencethat would prove that you are daring.
I don’t know. But I do know thatI consider myself old or at least in need of glasses since I thought thequestion read: Do you consider yourself darling?

If the war in Iraq, became an actual war where America wasfighting against Iraq, would you join to help our nation?
Well, I think it depends on whatthe war was about.

Do you speak your mind? Or do you just keep it to yourself?
I think I’ve answered this question throughout thequestionnaire.

Would you ever join a gang because you liked the way thatthey protected their members and the members families?
It’snot worth it, man. It’s not worth it.

If you had a chance to go speak to troubled kids, maybe likeyourself, and help turn their lives around, would you? 
Who are you calling a kid?

(In allseriousness: see the above answer about me being an ex-therapist/social worker.That was my job, dudes.)

When it comes down to it, do you think you should get morerespect or should your family?
Everyone deserves more respect... or at least more understanding.

This weeks Friday Fluff comes from this lovely questionnaire: Quizopolis Survey 6130

What's going on in the studio these days?

2011-12-08T13:47:00.001-06:00

A lot has been going on with the Sketches On Canvas but I've been a little quiet with the landscapes. This piece that I'm working on right now is the more "formal" of my Hoboken series. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to get really into refining this like the other landscapes, keep it more like a sketch or find some sort of medium between the two. I guess we'll all have to wait and see...

On being stuck:

2011-12-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

Cardinal copyright elisa ann lindstrom

"Thecore principle for feeling at peace in the present moment is to act or accept,but never stay stuck." –John Kuypers

The Birds Are Back!

2011-12-04T10:30:00.000-06:00

Sketch of En Rose Birds copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Cardinal copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Quiet Moment copyright elisa ann lindstrom

That's right: I've brought the birds back to my elisaann.etsy shop. I'm pretty excited because now that they are less stylized, they challenge me to look at each bird and work on my drawing/sketching skills. I love this challenge. Bring it!

If you want to see the collection, visit: www.etsy.com/shop/elisaann

Friday Fluff: because there is no Name my art Friday today but also because it's fun

2011-12-02T13:25:00.001-06:00

So my hopes and dreams to put up a Name My Art Friday every week are not exactly happening as planned. I was kinda disappointed because I really want to get back into it. I love hearing your ideas for titles and what you are thinking about when you see the pieces. 

I was lucky to read my good friend LucidLotus's blog today and saw "Friday Fluff" which was originally from Seeking Elevation and thought it would be fun alternative to NMAF.  Although, I must admit, my answers might not be as fun and interesting as theirs. So here it goes:

Have you ever had a secret crush? Yes. Without a doubt. And they had to be secret usually because my friends were crushed out on them too.

Do you love someone right now? Yes, I love a lot of people very much (my two favs are my husband and daughter).  

Have you ever cheated? In a relationship? No way. No how. My feelings on this are very strong. If ya can't deal with the issues in your relationship. Break up. For real. Don't bring someone else into the mix. It's not fair to anyone. 

Would you kiss the last person you kissed? I don't normally kiss people I don't want to kiss. But, to answer the question: yes. Totally. The last person I kissed was my daughter for her nap.

Would you stay home all day and listen to music? Do I get to choose the music? Then yes... wait, if I can listen to the music I choose with no complaints from a very opinionated almost 3 year old then YES.

Would you stay home all day and watch movie? Yes. Yes. Yes. Here's the thing, if I were to spend a day at home watching a movie, most likely my daughter is at her grandparents or at daycare in which case I would probably not watch the movie and instead work (because I'm someone who would paint/work all night if I could).

Have you ever kissed a pole? As in a Christmas Story? No. Oh, wait he didn't kiss it, he just put his tongue on it, right? Okay still no.

Do you want to die right now? No, there is too much to do (see the question about movies above)

Would you flirt with someone after kissing your bf/gf?  What? Who does that? ...Okay, I know there are people out there that do this but if you don't know what my answer would be see my response to the question about cheating, I think that should answer this question.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I'm not sure. I do believe in lust at first sight or a major connection between two people when they first see/meet each-other. I'm not sure I'd say that was love though. 

Do you believe in a happy ending? I don't believe in happy endings in the fairy tale/American movie sort of way. I believe more in this instead: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end" -unknown. In my mind okay does not necessarily equal happy.  Sometimes it means the ending is really hard and feels awful but you learn from the experience and grow from it. 

Do you believe in fairytales? As in tales of fairies and gnomes? Possibly. As in the princess/prince stuff? No way. If you look at history you'll see that most of these princes, princesses, queens and kings had some crazy stuff going on. 

Does people call you crazy for no reason? For no reason? No, I'm sure they have plenty of reasons (for instance: re-read the part where I'd probably work all day instead of watching a movie if given the chance).

Do you like this quiz? Yes, it's kinda fun. Why don't you try it now?

Wordless Wednesday: Fun at the pet store (part 2)

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

To see more Wordless Wednesday images for today, click here:

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

New to the shop: Daisies

2011-11-16T15:39:00.001-06:00

New to the shop:
Daisies
copyright elisa ann lindstrom
size of canvas: 8” x 8” (20.3 cm square)
depth of canvas: 1 ½” (3.8 cm)
Medium used: charcoal, acrylic paint, matte medium, gesso, stretched canvas
Colors used: white, black, yellow, green

This piece took me a lot longer to finish than I had anticipated. I've been working on it since this August/September but was never really satisfied. I've done a lot of tweaking to the flowers and leaves/stems the past few weeks and am happy with the final result. I really like how simple, colorful and cheerful this piece is.

You can find it in my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/elisaann

Wordless Wednesday: Fun at the pet store

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, check out:

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

On living with nature:

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000-06:00

In Snow copyright elisa ann lindstrom

"But man postpones orremembers; he does not live in the present, butwith reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surroundhim, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and stronguntil he too lives with nature in the present,above time."

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Name my art... Saturday

2011-11-12T10:25:00.001-06:00

It's been a while but Name My Art Friday is back!!!

(okay... so, it's Saturday)

Untitled No. 65 

is now:

Quiet Moment

copyright elisa ann lindstrom

size of canvas: 11" x 14” x 11” (27.9 x 35.6 cm)

depth of canvas: 1 ½” (3.8 cm)

Inspired by this image: http://elisaannlindstrom.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordless-wednesday.html

To find out more about Name My Art Friday,

see the sidebar to the right.

Have a great weekend

Win a free limited edition print of "Summer Path"

2011-11-09T21:24:00.000-06:00

Summer Path Limited Edition Print copyright elisa ann lindstrom

That's right.  I'm giving away a limited edition printof "Summer Path". It’s getting a little chilly here in Chicago and Iwanted to spread some warmth around.

The two things you need to do to enter:

1. Sign up at: http://eepurl.com/gY8Hv   

2. Answer the question as a comment in this blog: Has artever given you a sense of peace in your life? If so, how? (This can be art you haveseen, created, bought etc.)

Deadline to enter: November 15th Giveaway is now closed
The winner will be announced via email on November 16th & will be chosenthrough random.org

Here’s some info on the print: 

Summer Path
copyright elisa ann lindstrom
Titled by: S. Hsu
Limited Edition Print (only 10 printed)
Size of paper: 11” x 8 ½” (27.9 x 21.6 cm)
Size of print: 7”x 5” (17.8 x 12.7 cm) with a white border
Paper: Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper

Each print has been signed, numbered and titled at thebottom by me.

Wordless Wednesday:

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, check out:

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

About trees:

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hoboken III copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“The best time toplant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” -Chinese Proverb

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Focus on: Under A Western Sky

2011-10-27T12:26:00.001-05:00

Under A Western Sky copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Under A Western Sky

Titled by: C. Nichols

24" x 30" 

medium used: acrylic paint, matte medium, conte crayon, softpastels, & gouache

A few years ago, I went out to San Francisco area for the first time.  There were a number of reasons to go,for starters, one of my high school friends was getting married but also I wentout to meet the grandparents of my fiancé (now husband).   They lived east of the bay areain Turlock, CA.  On the way there,we passed these beautiful landscapes (many of which I have since painted). Atthe time, I wasn’t working on landscapes at all but I was compelled to takephotos on the car ride back to San Francisco.

When I did start working on my landscape series, Under A Western Sky was the first one that I created.  Part of my interest in this particular landscape was thatthere were telephone poles in the distance and I thought it would be a goodsegue from my work of studies of telephone poles to larger landscapes.  Another reason I liked this scene washow big the sky is, how strong the mountains feel and how rich the land looked.

I started my first version of this piece a while ago andcame back to it more recently in order to give more depth, texture and color tothe land. You can see earlier versions of this piece in the “Previous posts”section below.

Previous posts about this piece:

http://elisaannlindstrom.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-artists-studio.html

http://elisaannlindstrom.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-artists-studio_16.html 

http://elisaannlindstrom.blogspot.com/2008/04/name-my-art-friday_18.html

About children:

2011-10-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

Marcel Zooms Ahead copyright elisa ann lindstrom

"Children haveneither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do."

–Jeande la Bruyere

My favorite thing that I did this week when I was living in the moment:

2011-10-21T13:38:00.000-05:00

My favorite thing that I did this week when I was living in the moment:

Walking with my daughter through autumn leaves

Listening to them crackle beneath our shoes

Smelling the mix of grass and leaves

Feeling the chill in the air

Holding my daughter's hand

Laughging

Jumping

Breathing

(do you remember a moment where you were being present this week?)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday folks!

To see more wordless images visit:

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

About yesterday:

2011-10-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Under A Western Sky copyright elisa ann lindstrom

"Don't let yesterdayuse up too much of today."

-Cherokee Indian Proverb

About humanity:

2011-10-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

(found through friends on Facebook)

I saw this yesterday through a friend on Facebook and I wanted to share with you. This is a great quote and I think it's just so true. What do you do to live in the present?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images check out: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Found at the farmers market today

2011-10-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

I love going to the farmers market and all that it's about: the people, the sense of community, being outside ...not to mention all the beautiful (and tasty) produce. Today my mom, daughter and I braved the chilly weather to get some goodies from our favorite farmers. Here's some of what we came home with:

Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of lovely goodies.

Shhh... just think:

2011-09-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

Big Blue Sky copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“Nothing is worth more than this day.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

On exploration:

2011-09-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

Reunion copyright elisa ann lindstrom titled by C.K. Lastimosa

“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.”

–T. S. Eliot

What went down in my studio tonight:

2011-09-18T22:03:00.001-05:00

Good, productive times.

(my favorite kind)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:02:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

This image inspired this original drawing:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86321882/sketch-flowers-original-simple-canvas

About the past & future:

2011-09-13T12:52:00.003-05:00

Montauck Lighthouse copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“With the past,
I have nothing to do;
nor with the future.
I live now.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T13:25:00.001-05:00

To see more Wordless Wednesday images, 

click here.

The quote I'm loving this Tuesday:

2011-09-06T12:50:00.000-05:00

Hoboken I copyright elisa ann lindstrom

“Learning is movement from

moment to moment.”

–J. Krishnamurti

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

To see more Wordless Wednesday Posts, 

please visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

The quote I'm loving this Tuesday:

2011-08-30T13:30:00.001-05:00

“One  of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us  tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden  over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our  windows today.” 

–Dale Carnegie

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

To see more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T23:01:00.000-05:00

To see more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

Unexpected inspiration from Hieronymous Bosch: The Garden of Eartly Delights

2011-08-16T21:02:00.001-05:00

Hieronymous Bosch, Dutch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1504

Okay I’m going to be completely honest with you, I’m not a huge Hieronymous Bosch fan. Actually, when I saw his work in art history, I wasn’t overly excited about it.  But here is the thing: when I went to the Prado and saw this piece in person. I cried. Seriously, it brought me to tears.  

So this was very odd to me, I had just seen a number of other pieces in the museum including works by Goya (whose work I admire), but here I was crying in front of a piece I didn’t think meant anything to me.  I still don’t know exactly what it was about this piece, but I think that’s the allure it has on me.

So, I’m just wondering. Is there any work (fine art, music, movie, book etc) that you did not think you’d be interested in and when you saw, read, or listened to it, you were so blown away that you couldn’t control your emotions?

If you would like to see more pieces by Bosch, click here. 

If you would like to go to the Prado's website visit here.

Name my art Friday: Untitled No. 64

2011-08-12T13:36:00.001-05:00

Untitled No. 64
is now:
Contemplating the Storm
titled by: C.C. Smith

size of canvas: 24 x 20 (61 x 50.8 cm) 
depth of canvas: 7/8" (less than 2.5 cm)
colors used: blue (sky blue), brown, amber, sienna, white, black
medium used: mixed media (acrylic paint, matte medium, conte crayon, soft pastels, & gouache) 

The salty air
The sound of waves
A peaceful moment

Contemplating the Storm is an original landscape painting on 24” x 20” canvas.  I was inspired to create this art piece after spending a weekend in Montauck, NY (on Long Island). You can read more about the inspiration for this piece here.

For more information on this painting, click here.

For more information on Name my art Friday,

see the sidebar to the right

Have a great weekend!

Behind the painting: Untitled No. 64 (Contemplating the Storm)

2011-08-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

Untitled no. 64 (aka Contemplating the Storm) copyright elisa ann lindstrom

The image:

I chose this image because I love lighthouses. I like the symbolism of them as beacons for the tired and weary and I think it’s a good fit for what my paintings are all about (being a reminder for all of us to take a moment, breathe and appreciate the world around us. Essentially giving us a sense of peace when we’re under stress, if only for a few minutes).

The story behind the image:

A few years back, a good friend of mine and I decided we wanted to see the seals at Montauk. If you don’t know where Montauk is, it’s at the very end of Long Island. In fact, there is a bumper sticker that reads “Montauk: The End”. The seals are around only for the winter/early spring months (and then head back north for the summer). Even though we knew it would be a couple of hours outside in the cold, we were determined and made a weekend of it.  This image was taken on the day of our Guided Seal Hike coming back from the hike.

For more information on Montauk, NY and the seal hike, visit:

http://www.hike-li.org/sealhike.htm

http://www.onmontauk.com/

http://www.montauklighthouse.com/

Name My Art Friday for this piece 
will be held this Friday, August 12

Inspiration from Edward Hopper: The Lighthouse at Two Lights

2011-08-08T21:18:00.002-05:00

   Edward Hopper, American, The Lighthouse at Two Lights, 1929 

I think I’ve known Edward Hopper’s work since I was a little girl. My mom really likes his paintings of people. I like those as well, but I find his landscapes to be what inspires me the most.  I love the clean, basic feeling of his work. The lines and colors are almost bare bones at first glance and then you look and notice all of the details he has put in (the molding on the house, the walkway along the lighthouse).  I also really appreciate Hopper’s understanding and use of light and shadows. 

I wanted to highlight this painting, because it’s a lighthouse (which is a landscape I’m finishing up this week) and also because I see this piece everyday. Well, I don’t own the original because it’s at the Met and probably a little over my price range. But, I do have a poster/print of it framed in our dining room, which I gave my husband as an anniversary gift. So I get to admire this piece everyday.

What do you like about this painting? Do you have a favorite Hopper?

On a total side note:  When I was getting my Masters of Social Work at NYU (which is a whole other story for another time), one of the school’s buildings, 3 Washington Square North, was where Hopper’s apartment & studio was. They have kept it almost exactly as it was left. So I got to see it. It was one of those speechless moments for me.  I tried to go back with my parents to show them when they were in town but either that room or the room leading to the studio is used as offices for faculty and …well, I’ll just say that we weren’t welcomed nicely by one of the faculty so we never got to really look at it together.

To more information on this piece: click here

Have you seen...

2011-08-01T22:22:00.000-05:00

The final version of Winter Pond & Reunion?

Winter Pond copyright elisa ann lindstrom 24" x 20"

Reunion copyright elisa ann lindstrom 24" x 30"

I don't know if this has happened to you, but sometimes I finish something and then realize that I wasn't finished with it at all. That's what happened to me with four landscapes. The first one was "Under A Western Sky" which I finished in 2010. I have since re-worked "Winter Pond" and "Reunion" and wanted to share the final paintings with you. I am still in the process of revisiting "Passage" and hopefully can show you the final for that soon.

You can see what I changed in "Under A Western Sky" in the post here.

To view the transformation of "Winter Pond", visit the posts here, here & here.

You can see the transformation of "Reunion" in the post here.

You voted. I listened.

2011-07-29T09:00:00.009-05:00

Summer Path copyright elisa ann lindstrom titled by S. Hsu

Last week, I asked which of four landscapes you'd want to see as a print in my shop.

The winner (by an almost unanimous vote) is Summer Path!

It is now in the shop, and you can see it here.

To see the original/voting post, click here.

Update on the latest landscape: lighthouse

2011-07-28T08:20:00.000-05:00

I spent a lot of time on Tuesday working on the sky.

The next day, I focused on the lighthouse and hill

It's been a while since I've worked on my landscapes. Honestly, I was getting a little frustrated with this lighthouse painting so maybe the break was a very good thing. After a good long day in the studio on Tuesday and some more work Wednesday, I'm excited to work on it again and I think it is almost finished. So get ready for a "Name my art Friday" either this week or next. You can see how the painting looked when I first started working on it in this click back.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:49:00.000-05:00

To see wonderful Wordless Wednesday images by other bloggers, click here.

The vote is on:

2011-07-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

A.  580 Gaze

B. Big Blue Sky

 C. Reunion

D. Summer Path

The Amber Field print is now up at elisaannlindstrom.etsy. That was my first pick for prints in the shop. Now it’s your turn. Which would you like to see in the shop next? If you can’t decide between two, vote for both! I’ll have two new prints up in August. Let the voting begin!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

5 Years ago today...

2011-07-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

5 years ago today, we gathered with family and friends.

We held hands, listened and laughed.

On that beautiful Friday afternoon, we said what mattered most to us.

We may not have known what was in store for us,

but we knew we wanted to take the journey together.

5 years ago today, I married my soul mate

(and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat).

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T06:00:00.007-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, click here.

New to the shop: Limited Edition Prints

2011-07-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Amber Field Limited Edition Print copyright elisa ann lindstrom

I am excited to say that I am now offering prints of my landscape paintings at elisaannlindstrom.etsy. It's taken me a few years to decide to do this. I bought the printer made for jobs like this, I had the paper ready, but I wasn't sure I wanted to add it to elisaann.etsy with everything else that was going on in the shop. Now that I have a new shop dedicated to my landscapes, I knew it was a perfect fit.

The prints are a limited edition of 10. I wanted to offer a limited edition because I liked the idea of how, even though they were prints, they would still be special.

So, the first print is of Amber Field. I'd love to hear your thoughts so either this week or next week, I'll put up a survey to let you decide which other prints you want to see up in the shop.

You can get more information on The Amber Field print when you click here.

I'm very excited about the direction the elisaannlindstrom.etsy shop is taking! I hope you are too.

A belated Happy 4th from my walk today and some exciting news

2011-07-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

I saw this during my walk today and wanted to share it with you. I know it is three days late, but I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!

Something exciting is going to happen in elisaannlindstrom this Monday. I'm adding limited edition prints of my paintings. This is going to be a great addition to the note cards and postcards of my landscapes that are already in the shop. First up: Amber Field. After that, I'll get votes from you on this blog and on the Facebook Fan page to find out which ones you want to see in the shop next.

Here are the details of the prints:

A limited edition of 10
Printed on Velvet Fine Art Paper
Priced at $35 each
Paper Size: 8 1/2" x 11"
Print Size: 5" x 7"

Not sure what Amber Field looks like? You can see it on my website when you click here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T08:10:00.003-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Introducing: Sketches on Canvas

2011-06-21T13:19:00.000-05:00

Introducing: Sketches on Canvas

Purple Flowers III

A brand new series of art.  Each sketch is made with charcoal, matte medium, gesso and no more than three colors.  They are created on gallery wrapped canvas, which is 1 ½” deep and the sides are left white to enhance the raw, unfinished feel to the piece.


Hoboken I

I wanted to start this series after I noticed how much I love the first layers of my landscapes when everything is still very simple and fresh. I have decided to make each sketch to be either a study for a possible landscape or an image inspired by a Wordless Wednesday* blog post.

In Snow

Sketches on Canvas can be found at www.elisaann.etsy.com starting today.

Parsley

*Wordless Wednesday is a collaboration of multiple blogs that share images on Wednesdays. For more information (and to see some of the pictures) you can visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Happy 1st day of summer! 

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T08:01:00.010-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

*The parsley in this image inspired
an original Sketch on Canvas.
You can find the 8" x 8"
mixed media artwork
in my Etsy shop: http://etsy.me/iVcg4i 

In the studio... newest painting

2011-06-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

If you've read my blog recently, you'll know that I'm in the midst of launching a new line of work on my Etsy shop.  If you missed that post, you can read it here. When I want to take a break from that series, I work on my newest landscape. This piece was inspired by a trip out to Montauck, Long Island from way back when we were living near New York City. Here are some pictures of the progress:

The first sketch on canvas. As you can see, I'm working out some kinks in how the hill is drawn.

The first layers of color


A detail of the lighthouse

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T07:33:00.007-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images, visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

This image inspired 3 Sketches on Canvas
in my Etsy shop:
http://etsy.me/kfSOWv
http://etsy.me/jeIQQ
 http://etsy.me/khJahd 

June 21st - the 1st day of summer and...

2011-06-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

I haven’t been writing too much about my Etsy shop because I’ve been channeling creative energy quietly to decide exactly what to do. I figured it out and am very excited about what’s to come in the shop on June 21st.  But I’m not going to reveal exactly what it is… just yet. The only hint you get today is this picture:

Insert shameless plug here: Of course, if you want to know before the items go up on the site, you can join my mailing list at http://eepurl.com/xIA3 They are going to get a sneak peak on June 7th. Bonus: if you join and include your mailing address, I’ll send you a postcard of one of my landscapes.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday Images visit here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday Images visit here.

Inspiration from Piet Mondrian

2011-05-23T14:14:00.003-05:00

Piet Mondrian, Dutch, 1872-1944, The Gray Tree, 1911

Although the trees in my area are no longer bare like this one, I saw this piece recently and wanted to share it. I don't know about you but when I think of Mondrian, I think of black and white lines with bright squares in primary colors. When I saw this piece, I just loved it. Black and white (and grey), yes but so fluid. The lines feel so natural and relaxed but strong and sure at the same time. It reminds me of a bitter, cold winter day but in a very good way - almost as though it was nostalgic.

What are your thoughts on this piece? Do you like Mondrian's work in general?

You can see more of his work here:

Name my art Friday

2011-05-20T09:00:00.002-05:00

Untitled no. 63 is now
Grandpa's Land
Titled by: L. Meyers-Gabbard

24" x 36" mixed media painting on canvas

For more information on Name My Art Friday, please see the sidebar to the right.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday Images visit here.

Inspiration from Jasper Johns

2011-05-16T10:00:00.013-05:00


Jasper Johns, American, False Start 1959

Inspiration today comes from a piece by Jasper Johns who celebrated his birthday yesterday (May 15, 1930). I love the energy of this piece. There is so much movement, color and playfulness it's hard not to smile. I enjoy his use of words and that they don't necessarily correspond to the colors they are on top of (nor the color they are printed in).

What are your impressions of this piece? Are there any other Jasper Johns paintings or drawings that you like?

You can see more of his work here:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T09:01:00.001-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday Images visit here.

Update on the latest landscape

2011-05-04T22:13:00.001-05:00

The most recent landscape is almost finished and I wanted to give you a glimpse of how it looked earlier this week. I still want to do some more with the flowers and the field. Otherwise, it should be complete soon. I'm hoping this week or early next. So be on the lookout for a "Name My Art Friday" in the near future.
If you want to see what it looked like when I started, you can visit that post here.

Inspiration from Max Beckmann

2011-05-03T15:06:00.002-05:00

Max Beckmann, German, Moon Landscape 1925

This weeks inspiration comes from Max Beckmann, an artist I had hardly heard about until one of my drawing teachers suggested I looked him up. I was so glad I did! He has such strong, bold lines that I just love. There is no timid anything in his work. I have had the chance to see some of his figurative pieces but when I was looking him up today (yes, I googled him) - I found this beautiful landscape. Again, very strong and sure lines. Overall, it's a heavy piece but there is a light feeling to the river and moon that help balance it all out. What do you think?

If you would like to see more of his work: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/beckmann_max.html

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday images visit:

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Inspiration from a Norwegian artist: Harald Sohlberg

2011-04-26T12:39:00.001-05:00

Harald Sohlberg
Norwegian, 1869-1935
Fisherman's Cottage, 1906

Here's another piece I came across on my visit to the Art Institute of Chicago last year. I don't know how I had missed this piece in my previous visits. It really stood out to me this time. I am drawn to how dark the landscape is but how light and welcoming the house is. This painting is just so beautiful and dramatic.

Harald Sohlberg is a Norwegian artist whom I had not heard much of. I think the spotlight on Norwiegan artists usually falls on Edward Munch. Which is too bad because I think some of that should go to Harald Sohlberg's work. To see what I mean, check out Art Inconnu's blog post about his work here.

What do you think of his work? Which is your favorite?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

(before the rain and hail this week)

To see more images from Wordless Wednesday visit here

Inspiration Monday: Gaston La Touche - Pardon in Brittany

2011-04-18T10:54:00.001-05:00

Gaston La Touche

French, 1854-1913

Pardon in Brittany, 1896

One of the artists/artworks I’m inspired by is Gaston la Touche’s Pardon in Brittany.  The first time I saw this piece was last summer when we were at the Art Institute of Chicago. It stopped me in my tracks. It’s just so stunning in person.  It was almost hiding in a side room.  Which may be why after years of visiting the museum, I hadn’t seen it before.

What I notice the most and love the most about this piece is: the figure of the woman on the horse, almost stoic stands out amongst the sea of white hats; and the glow of their candles coming through gives the piece an overall ethereal feeling.

Have you seen his work before?  Which is your favorite?

For more information and images of Gaston La Touche:

This is how it looks at the AIC: http://bit.ly/i2Hohr

The Art Institute's Collection: http://bit.ly/hQLoii

An interview with the artist in the NYT: http://bit.ly/efRexj

More images of his work: http://bit.ly/eJeRCO    

A peek inside the studio - working on a new landscape

2011-04-15T10:24:00.000-05:00

The newest landscape in my studio is 24"x36" which is the longest landscape I've painted so far. I've always envisioned my landscapes on larger canvases. When it was time to buy a new canvas, a friend suggested I try it out. (Thanks Courtney, I love it) Here are some of the first images of the work in progress:


1st step was sketching out the image with a charcoal pencil

A light layer of blue for the sky to start the color...

Color is then added to the rest of the landscape

(detail of the landscape)

More images to come next week... stay tuned.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A peek inside the studio - "Winter Pond" is almost finished

2011-04-09T13:43:00.000-05:00

I am almost finished with re-working Winter Pond. I think I'm going to take a break from it and start a new piece. The image above is my entire studio area. It's not much space but I use every inch of it that I can and I'm just grateful that I have the space and time to get some painting done.

The photo on the stool is the picture I refer to when working on this piece. Each painting is inspired by a place I've visited and the photo helps me remember the details

In the bottom right corner of the above picture, is the corner of "Reunion", another painting I'm re-working. I've been revisiting this painting for a few months now and I feel as though I'm done with the touch ups. I'll let it rest as well and revisit it in a week or so.

You can see the original image for Winter Pond here.
You can see the original image for Reunion (and a more recent version) here.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday 4/6/11 copyright elisa ann lindstrom

For more images from Wordless Wednesday, click here.

A peek at what's happening in the studio

2011-04-01T13:59:00.000-05:00

Winter Pond copyright elisa ann lindstrom

One of the positive things about having the studio in the bedroom is that everyday I see the piece(s) I'm working on even if I don't have time to actually paint. Yesterday, after a very busy day where I hadn't touched the paints/canvas at all, I happened to look at Winter Pond and I noticed the sky had this weird "S" shape in the clouds. I hadn't noticed it before and I had thought I was done with the sky. So, today I worked on getting rid of the odd cloud formation and it looks like I'll be re-working the sky for a day or so more. Stay tuned...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

(taken over a month ago - we don't have any snow but a lot of woodpeckers right now)

For more images from today's Wordless Wednesday click here.

Items with intention challenge – end of challenge check-in

2011-03-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

I set up the “Items with intention challenge” back on February 18th.  The reason for the challenge was to see if getting rid of some of the things in the home would make it feel less crowded and more simplified.  You can read the original post here.  The challenge ended on March 20th and I wanted to check in.

Here are my final stats:

Clothing & accessories: 21
Kitchen, living room etc.: 27
Books, DVDs & CDs: 8
Art & office supplies: 3

Grand total: 59 items 

It actually feels like I cleared out way more than that. At the same time, I know that in order to get to the point where I can feel real peace and simplicity, I need to go through some more. This is clearly a project/challenge that can go on and on.

I defiantly feel the change, if ever so slight, in the kitchen.  The master bedroom, on the other hand, felt very crowded, as it was where I was storing all of the items before I donate them to the different charities.   So last Saturday I cleaned the entire bedroom and put all the items to donate in a closet that had some extra space as well as in a small corner of the room.  Now the bedroom feels so much better.  I am definitely going to continue working on this challenge/project.

How did it go for you?

Welcome Spring...

2011-03-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

From one of my favorite picture books:

"Spring is here.

The snow melts.

The earth is fresh.

The grass sprouts.

The flowers bloom.

The grass grows.

The winds blow.

The storms rage.

The quiet harvest arrives.

The snow falls.

The children play.

The world is hushed.

The world is white.

The snow melts.

The calf has grown.

Spring is here."

-Taro Gomi 

For more information on Taro Gomi and his books, visit: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/tarogomi/

A peek inside the studio... re-working "Winter Pond"

2011-03-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

This year I am focusing my work on landscape paintings - adding to the collection and re-working those that need it.  There are three landscapes that I want to revisit. One of them, "Winter Pond", has had some new work done:

To see the original version of this painting, click here.

Items with intention challenge: You know you don't need it when...

2011-03-11T12:30:00.002-06:00

I asked professional organizer Jane Carroo of Clutter Coach Company if she could help us out on the Items with Intention Challenge.  She came up with a list of 11 things to think of when we're going through our stuff. Here are her suggestions:

You know you don't need it when...

Hasn't been used in a year or more.
You've outgrown it.
Your interest level has changed, no longer interested.
Kids don't play with it anymore.
You forgot you had it.
Seldom or never think of it or reference it.
Don't like it anymore or never liked it.
Has no purpose.
Takes up more space than you have available.
You are paying rent to store it, but don't use it.
Brings you negative energy.

Check out the Clutter Coach Company for more great tips, to get a complimentary organization kit and much more: www.cluttercoach.com

Clutter Coach Company also offers an online program called Simplesizing to help simplify all the areas of your life. For more information on this great program visit: www.simplesizing.com/

A peek at a project I'm working on...

2011-03-09T14:29:00.000-06:00

I'm creating a notebook filled with all of the details, thoughts and other useful information on all of my landscapes.  So I can reference it as needed when writing about my pieces.  Picking out the right notebook was a lot harder than I had anticipated as I needed something that was big enough for all that I was going to write and sturdy enough to hold all of the original photos of the places that inspired the pieces.  I ended up with a basic black notebook from Piccadilly.

The next step was to put up the piece in a prominent place in our home so I can see it often.

Under A Western Sky copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Then, once I have a moment of quiet time, I sit, think and write about the piece. 

Do you have any interesting projects going on?

Items with intention challenge week 3

2011-03-06T21:45:00.001-06:00

I wanted to check in with you & see how things are going with this challenge. In the next week or so I'm going to interview a professional clutter coach who can answer some of the questions we have about clearing away the stuff we don't need. Some of you have mentioned problems with:

Kitchen Drawers
Closets
Art Supplies & Craft drawers
Books

Is there anything else you'd like me to ask her about?

***Update to this post & slight change of plans: She is giving me a list of "You know you don't need it when..." which will answer our questions about items in general and cover the issues above.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T10:22:00.000-06:00

For more images from today's Wordless Wednesday click here.

A peek inside the studio

2011-03-01T13:29:00.000-06:00

Today I get some much needed free time to prep the studio for the landscape paintings I want to work on in March.

getting ready to mix paints (I love W&N Galleria)

the glass bottles and caps I use to hold mixed paints

trying out this idea from total art & soul to clean hard paintbrushes

I hope you had a great 1st day of March!

*Click here for the link for Total Art & Soul

Items with intention challenge week 2

2011-02-25T15:35:00.000-06:00

Two plates from Spain in our kitchen

"Have nothing in your house 

that you do not know to be useful, 

or believe to be beautiful."  William Morris

I recently came across this quote and I think it's perfect for this challenge.  How is the challenge coming along for you?

Here are my stats:

Clothes/accessories/shoes: 15 (this  one is maybe the easiest for me right now because I just ask myself:  Does this look good on me? Does it fit? Do I like this at all? Does it  show signs of wear in a bad way? I haven't even gone through my  accessories or shoes so they may end up as their own category)

Kitchen/Dining/Living Room items: 2 (I'm planning on working on this some more this coming weekend. We have a lot of pots/pans that we really don't use and our utensil holder is full. I'm sure this number will go up by next week.)

Books/DVDs/CDs: 8 (I feel as though I'm always going through these so we'll see if I get a good 20 on this list) 

Art supplies/old work: 0 (I'll admit - this one is a little overwhelming. My goal is to tackle this a little bit at a time.)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T21:31:00.001-06:00


This image inspired a Sketch on Canvas in my Etsy shop: http://etsy.me/js4DIR

To my friends up north...

2011-02-21T13:04:00.001-06:00

Family Lines copyright elisa ann lindstrom

Happy Family Day!

(And to my American friends, Happy Presidents Day!) 