tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11273911384092718842024-03-05T17:32:50.372-08:00Connie NobbePaintings and Sketches, and Other StuffConnie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-30203838196526324012018-07-06T09:24:00.000-07:002018-08-21T06:04:40.738-07:00LongingMy very sweet and cooperative mother and her (less-so) feline roommate posed for a portrait for my camera. I painted this quickly back in my studio, so I could enter it into the fast-approaching Hoosier Salon deadline. I finished painting it, photographing it, and submitting it online JUST before the stroke of midnight! Whew!! And guess what! It was juried in! Yay!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlB7v8_nsF3DghR1Hpi5yILiVBR8eMWoyTl_U8y3r1xBfmiO6MPnJpWKY3ltvdVsTH5j9c7PUu2OiRhl4btKkqoHx7zKYplMW9nQ-lyfmdW5MoO52FMfmyL-z3wAPxYyGLH04iZGYYvc/s1600/Longing+2+at+72+medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlB7v8_nsF3DghR1Hpi5yILiVBR8eMWoyTl_U8y3r1xBfmiO6MPnJpWKY3ltvdVsTH5j9c7PUu2OiRhl4btKkqoHx7zKYplMW9nQ-lyfmdW5MoO52FMfmyL-z3wAPxYyGLH04iZGYYvc/s640/Longing+2+at+72+medium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Longing" 18" x 24" Oil on Panel</td></tr>
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I like the suggested narrative of the scene... with the subject looking toward the window in deep thought, not noticing her cat who is approaching her with caution or concern. I hope the viewer imagines a story for the characters. Is the lady lonely? Is she traveling in her memories to another place and time, or is her mind fading to the point of ignoring her pet?<br />
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The truth behind the scene is: My mom, at age 85, remains pretty sharp. She works at an elementary school for 4 hours a day as a "Grandma," which is a program for retirees who come in for nominal pay and help as teachers aides. She sits with children and helps them work on their reading or math. She gets lots of hugs. After a full morning, she likes retreating to her little apartment for the rest of the day. She wants to continue contributing to society as long as she can.<br />
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Another truth is that this old Persian cat is not nearly as beautiful as my mom. So, her face did not make it into the portrait. A visitor never knows if this cat is going to hiss at them or be nice to them. Her attitude can change in the blink of an eye. She keeps my mom busy because of all the matted hair and snot coming from her almost non-existent nasal passages. A face (that only a mom could love) like this would surely have been a distraction in my painting:<br />
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<br />Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-68336737135477511822018-03-13T20:06:00.000-07:002018-03-22T19:57:36.750-07:00IntentionThis little two year old is the daughter of a friend of mine. Her name is Leah. She has volunteered her cuteness for my portfolio. She is looking pretty serious about her cookie. I named this drawing "Intention" because she seems to have one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5o3na_QBMu9uDT9th11lNnj83x9UWNGMfLqoyNOFjSq-EHHdP6kxCD0u32XmxwFphSWanZBC2R6-6r1Z7J5bLp61pZe_AUCs5xqMQzWuQfw5uqsks7lQZ5fu3wEP1HMqcFCkYU4IAG4/s1600/Leah+72ppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5o3na_QBMu9uDT9th11lNnj83x9UWNGMfLqoyNOFjSq-EHHdP6kxCD0u32XmxwFphSWanZBC2R6-6r1Z7J5bLp61pZe_AUCs5xqMQzWuQfw5uqsks7lQZ5fu3wEP1HMqcFCkYU4IAG4/s640/Leah+72ppi.jpg" width="505" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Intention" 14" x 12" Pastel and Colored Pencil on Canson Paper</td></tr>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-46567193733138489522017-09-25T20:39:00.001-07:002017-10-20T13:01:29.968-07:00My Experience of Painting Pastor Steve Reeves<h2>
SHORT AND SWEET VERSION:</h2>
I painted this for our retiring, talented pastor of 31 years. It was a big deal. It was unveiled for him on his last weekend as one of his gifts of gratitude from the church. He and his wife loved it. Scroll for photos.<br />
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<h2>
THE VERY LONG VERSION:</h2>
<h3>
First, my testimony...</h3>
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Steve Reeves is why I started REALLY wanting to go to church. Back in the 90s, my heart was in a dark place. I started going to Brownsburg Christian Church (now known as Connection Pointe Christian Church) at the recommendation of a friend. As soon as I started listening to Steve, I knew I had found a spiritual leader that I so badly needed in my life. Week after week, he taught me about the biblical account of Christ and how He wants us to live. I needed this firm foundation, as I was drifting, spiraling, self-destructive. Steve reminded me of my dad, very witty, intelligent, and direct. When he talked, I was totally tuned in (and I have zero listening skills...big time ADD). When he talked, he did not take just one point and belabor it. He gave us good content to take notes on. Food to get me through the week... Purpose. Goals. Action. Boundaries. Love. I felt sometimes he was talking straight to me, although actually he did not know me personally. I slowly healed and my life has greatly improved.<br />
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One of the things he taught us is that we are made to serve and glorify God in our own unique way. I was thinking, yeah, I'm trained as a nurse (obviously I could do medical missions), but God has wired me as a visual artist. That is the area of my brain that works the best, and I'm very passionate about it. How cool it would be if my art skills could be used to serve and glorify God. Could it possibly make a difference in this world? I was not sure how. It does not feed the hungry, house the homeless, or treat the sick. Art falls under the category of a "want" and not a "need." This harsh world has some really desperate needs. I asked God to find some use for my art skills.<br />
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<h3>
Now, the story of the painting:</h3>
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</h4>
<h4>
The Brainstorm</h4>
A couple years ago, as I was sitting 4th row center as usual, I started thinking that there would come a day when Steve would retire (a day I rather dreaded). I imagined how I would like to paint his portrait sometime, as a gift of gratitude for what he has done for me. Well, his announcement came, and I mentioned to my husband Jeff what my idea was. He said, "If that is something you want to do, you had better be saying something to someone!" So I did. I told my dear friend Brian Fike, who is also a employed leader at the church. He liked the idea, and mentioned it to the elders and other key people at CPCC. They looked at my website, and liked what they saw. I met with elder Craig Hanson, and he shared his vision of a portrait of Steve and his wife Kristen together. But, more meetings happened within those church walls, and then Teresa Byington asked me to do a collage of scenes of Steve baptizing people.<br />
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I was resistant at first. Oh my, that is a LOT of little portraits in a complex composition. No way could I do that in the time allotted. I'm way too slow. The stress of trying would make me crazy. What if it turned out looking stupid? The whole church would see it! The thought was overwhelming. Teresa gave me an out and said, "Well, if you could find one photo that sums up baptism, then we could just go with that." She showed me online access to all the baptism photos from the past 4 years. I perused those and found that I could not narrow it down to only one. It became apparent that a collage would be necessary to describe all the stages and moments within the baptism experience. A collage would also illustrate God's love for all ages, all races, and both genders. This was the vision of my church. I was offered the privilege to make it a real thing. I've been well-trained for this moment. And the Holy Spirit was talking to my brain. <br />
"Let's do this." Matthew 19:26<br />
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I sent a photoshop layout of photos in the best composition arrangement I could come up with to Teresa. She said it was so good it made her tear up. Uh oh, more confirmation that this is what I needed to do.<br />
So, I did as I was taught by Steve. I gave it to God. I felt as though God was telling me to just pedal this bicycle, keep my eye on the road, and He would get me to the end. He navigated. Burdened lifted. He carried it. I stopped worrying about it (mostly), but I still took this job seriously. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivT7gPCTMy5jXhnu_fHNQjuYMGHRNIkhJtwXZffE9LRMLOoTlT6okTkuQyVK4S8kpXop1l-DB0eY-cQEemtZjzQCCxP7d9fMiVk67cG8CmwlNOcEC5sWSvS2vwYG7Kg_DLKsioZqL-rKM/s1600/mock+up+of+Steve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="864" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivT7gPCTMy5jXhnu_fHNQjuYMGHRNIkhJtwXZffE9LRMLOoTlT6okTkuQyVK4S8kpXop1l-DB0eY-cQEemtZjzQCCxP7d9fMiVk67cG8CmwlNOcEC5sWSvS2vwYG7Kg_DLKsioZqL-rKM/s200/mock+up+of+Steve.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little color study to get me started.</td></tr>
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<h4>
Getting Down to Work</h4>
I was fully focused and engaged. I was told that Steve is quite humble and would not want the painting to be all about him and his own face. So, I really wanted to make the painting be about the love and joy of being cleansed and becoming children of God. Steve's images should be secondary to the moments he is assisting in. I needed to visually capture Steve's work, but not glorify Steve. I re-examined the brushwork of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Singer_Sargent" target="_blank">John Singer Sargent</a>, who knew how to put paint on the canvas with accurate bravura. I also studied all materials from modern day master <a href="https://www.richardschmid.com/" target="_blank">Richard Schmid</a>. Every lunch break, I studied paintings by current masters of color and heavenly light... <a href="http://www.zhaomingwu.com/" target="_blank">Zhaoming Wu</a>, <a href="http://www.danielgerhartz.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=36476&Akey=HTDFQTVK" target="_blank">Dan Gerhartz</a>, <a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/" target="_blank">James Gurney</a>. Anytime I had a question, answers came. Often they came while I was dreaming. One night I could not sleep. I turned on the most sleep-inducing show that I could think of, "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross" (ya know, "happy trees" and all that). It did not make me sleepy. I watched him do some fancy stuff with a fan brush (while talking about God's miracles all around us, as Bob Ross often did in his soothing, whispery voice). The next day, I picked up my fan brush and did something cool with it. I also pulled out my notes from taking classes with Indianapolis artist <a href="https://charlenembrown.com/" target="_blank">Charlene Brown</a>, and implemented some of the approaches she taught me.<br />
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My family members would come in every afternoon with a fresh eye, and give me their opinions for what was good in the painting, and what areas needed fixing. I didn't always enjoy what they had to say, but they were right. Every. Single. Time.<br />
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Every session was started with prayer. I played Spotify music, mostly focus instrumentals and contemporary Christian music. I invited the Holy Spirit into my studio every time. I needed help. The large central figures were from a black and white photo that was pixely when I enlarged it, so I had to invent color and guess at some details. It was so important that I get this right. <br />
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<h4>
My Rewards</h4>
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I became familiar with working on a surface that was new to me, the Raymar L64C belgian linen panel. I tried some new colors, brushes, and mediums. I improved on mixing flesh tones. I learned more about simulating bright light. I am more aware of value control, and it's importance in communicating the concept. I am better at moving my eyes around so that my eyeballs don't play color-perception tricks on me from staring at one color for too long. <br />
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I learned how to quit goofing around on the internet so much, and get into that studio and start treating my painting career like it's my job. I developed a solid routine for setting up in the morning and shutting down in the evening. I discovered that too much exposure to solvents is bothersome to my airways, so I learned how to minimize that. I was too focused on the painting to feed my sugar addiction, and now I crave it less. While pushing paint around, I had time to think and pray and work through some personal issues. My standing muscles got stronger. I learned to trust God more. I became braver. I slayed some giants.<br />
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Ultimately, I participated in the creation of a unique and personal gift for Steve and Kristen, who deserve it. I finally found an opportunity to serve with my artistic skills.<br />
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The following video was filmed by my daughter Alyssa (thanks sweetie!). I was too nervous. I just wanted to watch the moment.<br />
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Okay, I must insert here that it was surreal seeing my own easel with my painting on it up on that stage, and hearing my name mentioned by Greg Moore in front of the whole church.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X6KUKJdXE2XAatlE0btmfTvsQiLv8Oh9e4yz_kOU12gTO8oXnKPQMw0s52q0RU5ud2OEfzz4sk9qSG4kQWW0b6JrZC8qLAIm78iplGSkSGxFPaAsjXILppTICrNHYhyphenhyphenT3BejULRz2RI/s1600/Steve+Kristen+Connie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X6KUKJdXE2XAatlE0btmfTvsQiLv8Oh9e4yz_kOU12gTO8oXnKPQMw0s52q0RU5ud2OEfzz4sk9qSG4kQWW0b6JrZC8qLAIm78iplGSkSGxFPaAsjXILppTICrNHYhyphenhyphenT3BejULRz2RI/s320/Steve+Kristen+Connie.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken after the ceremony</td></tr>
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After the ceremony, once they figured out who did this, I got big warm hugs from the Reeves. Steve said he loved it, and would cherish looking at it everyday from this day on. He said he was blown away, and that it could not have been more perfect.<br />
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The next day, their son Nate told me that, at first glance, Steve did not even notice himself in the painting. All he saw was the baptism scenes. That thrilled me, because that meant that I had successfully communicated the concept that I intended to. <br />
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My art may not have made a difference in the world, but it made a difference for someone who has made a difference in many lives. Thank you Steve, for talking straight to me. <br />
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Thank you so much to Teresa Byington and Laura Basso for your kindness and availability to me, and for your moral support and patience with all of my questions and crazy requests.<br />
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Thanks also to my husband Jeff, and my kids Jake and Alyssa. You were awesome throughout, with hugs, taking over (most) domestic chores, and lugging my equipment when necessary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tribute to Steve Reeves 30" x 30" Oil on panel</td></tr>
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It's on to the next thing now... right after I clean my house.</div>
<br />Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-44051435972885502122017-07-11T21:21:00.002-07:002017-07-11T21:21:25.487-07:00AgnesThis young lady is the 4th child in her family, and she has been waiting for her portrait to be done so it will hang with those of her siblings. We had to wait for her to grow though, so her portrait would match the ages of the others in their portraits. Also, I understand that Agnes is a little less inclined to sit still and pose, so her mother took several photos over a few months, trying to get a good shot. I would have tried to take the photos myself, but they live in Germany, and that's a tad too far away (although I should have traveled there and called it a business trip)!<br />
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Anyway, here's Agnes...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2_JvWrPw_PxXl7L0b-WYU7lGusS7YAfoEpVmAClbkuUUr44Dlh9eLXY9MGX1JUa57BOHVopYWGjfJOpkN6UQJsNfnGuEfwi0NXYXrG64t08Aa8xWHDvxT7EzVAEpDn7H-IXCAUBSog0/s1600/Agnes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1357" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2_JvWrPw_PxXl7L0b-WYU7lGusS7YAfoEpVmAClbkuUUr44Dlh9eLXY9MGX1JUa57BOHVopYWGjfJOpkN6UQJsNfnGuEfwi0NXYXrG64t08Aa8xWHDvxT7EzVAEpDn7H-IXCAUBSog0/s640/Agnes.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Agnes" 11" x 9" Colored pencil on Stonehenge gray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-46575448491550977612017-06-23T11:40:00.000-07:002017-06-23T14:52:07.581-07:00Falling in Love at The CupThis is a portrait of my daughter, Alyssa, at her favorite coffee shop in her college town. <i>The Cup</i>, located in The Village near BSU,
was a treasured oasis for her. She came here several times to "get
away from it all," so much so that the staff knew her name and what she
was going to order. The student artwork that graced the walls were an
inspiration to her creative soul. She loved sitting at the back table by the
stained glass window where she could sip her chai, do her homework, and
write her novels and poetry.<br />
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I journeyed up to Muncie a handful of times to join her in this quaint little creative zone, so I could hear about her college life, admire the changing art exhibit, and savor my own toasty-hot chai tea.<br />
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Perhaps a more apt name would be <i>Falling in Love </i>With<i> The Cup</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJHgmwmVTqEIMaWEVphgbvAVHa4Tapr_MJJvXiwrrpLXI9EyNWBy8DPD59CQcDySWCw-O7VHt1-FZeYD0zWpkW9uOB1G0IjXWYtQPoEkZqM7oHPwT1QYh-c4u5keZ_LfIJ76wpL0UjXY/s1600/Falling+in+Love+at+the+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1600" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJHgmwmVTqEIMaWEVphgbvAVHa4Tapr_MJJvXiwrrpLXI9EyNWBy8DPD59CQcDySWCw-O7VHt1-FZeYD0zWpkW9uOB1G0IjXWYtQPoEkZqM7oHPwT1QYh-c4u5keZ_LfIJ76wpL0UjXY/s640/Falling+in+Love+at+the+Cup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falling in Love at <i>The Cup </i>16" x 30" Oil</td></tr>
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As I was putting finishing touches on the painting, a song came on the radio which inspired the perfect name for the painting. Here is the video "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg. I have fallen in love with this song.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/erywPdFfORE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/erywPdFfORE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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I am excited and honored to announce that "Falling in Love at The Cup" is an accepted entry in the 2017- 93rd Annual Hoosier Salon Exhibition! Thank you to judges Sherrie McGraw and Jim Wodark! Of the 619 entries received, 159 were accepted, so it is quite an honor.Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-34119380483406983362016-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:002016-08-12T13:59:30.404-07:00MarshallLast year I painted this for my friend Emily. She commissioned this portrait of her fiance's beloved dog, to be her gift to him on their wedding day. She did the photo shoot, and sent me the files to pick from. I got the portrait done just in time. The paint was still wet when he opened it. Meet Marshall:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDs0WhbUAAwR0gR-Z0np5333Mb7qoDmNmQtckhExcMBuvwy6L-ZNSQDcPkQzDMSkOg89uq75BhtGKmfE1wl84ovktkpsHO-_DuI2qGYQuql-75Jkw3L4b4tI174INOJyD7HsFzLygnLlY/s1600/Marshall+varnished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDs0WhbUAAwR0gR-Z0np5333Mb7qoDmNmQtckhExcMBuvwy6L-ZNSQDcPkQzDMSkOg89uq75BhtGKmfE1wl84ovktkpsHO-_DuI2qGYQuql-75Jkw3L4b4tI174INOJyD7HsFzLygnLlY/s400/Marshall+varnished.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Marshall" 11 x 11" Oil on canvas panel</td></tr>
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Emily generously loaned it back to me, so I could varnish it and enter it in a show. I so very badly wanted to enter this one in the Hoosier Salon, but the
rules say that it must be for sale. Other quality shows, as far as I can tell, have the same rule. Obviously, "Marshall" was sold before I painted it. <br />
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I did a lot of things right in this painting that I have been trying to do in past works. I like "Marshall" so much I really want to keep him, but he needs to go back to his rightful owners now. Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-16061788327328757602015-08-11T14:59:00.000-07:002017-07-20T04:53:15.926-07:00The Most Important Painting I've Ever Painted<style>
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Words cannot describe the magnitude of pain felt by parents
who have lost a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not
pretend to know what it is like to experience it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own baby, Jacob, was walking that line in
a NICU 24 years ago, but he survived.</div>
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Asher Charles was born on January 28, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was born prematurely at 31 weeks
gestation. His mother has given me permission to tell this story.</div>
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<br /></div>
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His mother, Marti, is a new nurse in the NICU where I work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a big unit so I did not get to know her
before she had Asher, nor did I get the privilege of taking care of him while
he was in our NICU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did get the
honor of painting him after he passed, and since then, getting to know Marti.</div>
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Marti is a girl whom I have a heart for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She, like me, had a baby in the NICU before
she was ever a nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She, like me, was
so inspired by the NICU nurses who pulled her baby (Landon, now 4 years old)
through, that she went back to nursing school and changed careers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She, like me, struggled in school with our
PTSD and anxiety, but was determined to push through so we could
“give back.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like soldiers who finish a
tour of duty in war but keep re-enlisting, both of us found our way back to the
NICU on the other side, as a RN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming
into it, both of us struggled with “fitting in”, of overcoming our haunting
NICU memories, with learning to deal with the stress of that environment, and we
stuck it out anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both have teetered
between “I love my job” and “what have I done to my life?” </div>
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But that is where our similarities end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her second child came into the world when she
was fresh off of orientation in our NICU, and she was thrust back into her
previous role of NICU mom. </div>
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<br />
<br />
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At 31 weeks, Asher’s odds of pulling through were mostly in
his favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But survival statistics
provide no solace if your baby gets the raw deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Asher was overcome by NEC, which is a
complication that some preemies get where part or all of the intestinal tract
dies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He passed away in his loving
parents’ arms on February 13, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-9RpTN6N54GZ9dNI-mPzUsTBOtAAQoti96lqQHOfqiX1q6kb8Irhk0Z7aIwXtHxA6jGidahM_OHnugcWuiE7sXHuam3w_ybJUy9L1_dKJuDR4R-1FXBxaEdcB7qf-s3PDd82JY_pdLg/s1600/Marti%2527s+baby+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-9RpTN6N54GZ9dNI-mPzUsTBOtAAQoti96lqQHOfqiX1q6kb8Irhk0Z7aIwXtHxA6jGidahM_OHnugcWuiE7sXHuam3w_ybJUy9L1_dKJuDR4R-1FXBxaEdcB7qf-s3PDd82JY_pdLg/s320/Marti%2527s+baby+web.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher's last day. Courtesy of NILMDTS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Karrie and Susan, close coworker friends of Marti’s, took up
a collection and commissioned a portrait by me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This reference photo was taken by a volunteer photographer from a
non-for-profit company called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now I Lay
Me Down to Sleep</i> (NILMDTS).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marti
had told Susan that this was her favorite one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The nurses wanted to present the artwork to Marti as a gift at a
memorial tile blessing ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NILMDTS
kindly granted me permission to use the image to create a portrait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I decided to
take the black and white photo and turn it into a color portrait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was I thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never done that before!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All they had originally asked for was a
drawing, nothing too hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I tend to
bite off more than I can chew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
kidding when I tell you that I prayed every single time I went into the studio
to work on that portrait, “God, please guide my hand and help me create
something that Marti and her family will love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They deserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to shut
off the chatter in my brain and really listen to Your guidance, because this
painting has got to be good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For their
sake, don’t let me crank out a turkey.”</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWY8gJ13F52sE1uLNk0d5sCFS9w3uGLLU2WOt3A8hmVLPDubQCV6uS5lXlsnK0xmAGyVGvLHpA3-gPWXa-ZWxLr05qHr4Ok37byYcg5lXhhMp1tN-ZQ18kxKcxdCvfS4ONVhA0TZwHO_o/s1600/Loving-Asher-layered.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWY8gJ13F52sE1uLNk0d5sCFS9w3uGLLU2WOt3A8hmVLPDubQCV6uS5lXlsnK0xmAGyVGvLHpA3-gPWXa-ZWxLr05qHr4Ok37byYcg5lXhhMp1tN-ZQ18kxKcxdCvfS4ONVhA0TZwHO_o/s320/Loving-Asher-layered.gif" width="228" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taking a black and
white reference photo and ascribing color to it was actually very
liberating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It freed me to imagine the
color of the background, and the color of the light sources around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to communicate, with reds,
oranges, and yellows, the warm energy and love that family can give to and draw
from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could then contrast
this with the cold harshness of the world outside of their unity by portraying
it with blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the warm light washes
over Asher, he becomes his own source of light, illuminating his father’s face
with gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also deliberately broke the
rule of “warm light/cool shadow and cool light/warm shadow” by painting the
shadows that Asher casts on his mother’s chest as more like pools of orange
heat, which represents the connection that they shared when skin-to-skin.</i></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I would not have taken
these liberties with color if I had followed a color photograph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have tried so hard to reproduce the
moment captured, that I would have adhered too closely to the colors in the
photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the painting is better
this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to enjoy adding my
own interpretation, which took me one step closer to creating an artwork, and
not just a painting. </i></i></i></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
</i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </i></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I barely got the painting done in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband Jeff, on short order, made a
lovely custom frame out of oak with a mahogany stain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I framed the wet painting and took it to the
ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The attendees were Marti and
her husband Zac, and their son Landon, their families and closest friends, as well as
many staff from our NICU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
chaplain blessed the tile with holy water and gave a speech, Karrie took the
floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She announced that the NICU staff
had commissioned a portrait, and she pulled the drape off the portrait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marti clung to her husband’s arm and
exclaimed, “Our baby!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of them
cried.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BRsLYjBYFJRloI_8-yi7cmu_Gb2tXSeP82Lm2GrrOcvOVs8J7J-OeK9NeY1879gc4tkSK6p0jBeq8_WIXpTnkAlcJRZvmw7HYtgFSbdkbEuCeEzeL7U70K_g00NBvVvQq7nR-nTrxD0/s400/Marti+and+Karrie+web.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marti and Karrie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chaplain Brenda decided right then to bless the portrait as
well, with the holy water, her fingers tracing a small cross right above the
image of Asher’s head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thankful to
God for this blessing by a chaplain, and I was thankful she didn’t accidentally
touch the wet paint.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx8GzpGuuqGJyeKXxaPuFH0WLtGBkMsa4p3qB9u3CjudyxMm0ZL0xdXemqTHagF7tMRn-nbOFSn_PfYvDpnwTFddjIqKmIaOjqONa_F5D50VHusDFfh_fRlsn94V42QTcXEapv1pVaeo/s1600/Loving+Asher+blessing+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx8GzpGuuqGJyeKXxaPuFH0WLtGBkMsa4p3qB9u3CjudyxMm0ZL0xdXemqTHagF7tMRn-nbOFSn_PfYvDpnwTFddjIqKmIaOjqONa_F5D50VHusDFfh_fRlsn94V42QTcXEapv1pVaeo/s320/Loving+Asher+blessing+web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Marti tearfully spoke to the small crowd,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Thank you all for coming and for all the
support,” and then to the NICU staff, “Thank you for all that you did for
Asher…for all that you tried to do…thank you so much.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Marti eventually came up to the painting, and she kept
hovering her hand over Asher’s head, saying, “I want to touch it so
badly!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did this more than
once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knew the paint was still wet
though, so she exercised great restraint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She talked about some of her most precious memories of Asher was from
their time in skin-to-skin holding, and of touching his soft wispy hair. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3VDTGLeimdF7kZY093UC8T9UFt8ODqK4Xxc5P8lw4mbVTT9OkJa-3QRFttKBE1ugFeJ-O33l0YPEgcnP4fdVvM0lAGEpWBoXYPh5ClLkYfZToZczxu2lAaLCITqz5-jti5FvKC-qbU8/s1600/Marti+and+family+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3VDTGLeimdF7kZY093UC8T9UFt8ODqK4Xxc5P8lw4mbVTT9OkJa-3QRFttKBE1ugFeJ-O33l0YPEgcnP4fdVvM0lAGEpWBoXYPh5ClLkYfZToZczxu2lAaLCITqz5-jti5FvKC-qbU8/s640/Marti+and+family+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet family of four... Zac, Landon, and Marti, and Asher (in spirit)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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She tells me she keeps the painting safe in Asher’s room
(away from the flying dust of their current home improvement projects),
patiently waiting for the paint to dry. She goes in there several times a day
to look at it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially, sometimes it
was several times an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says she wants
to “pull him right out of the painting.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once construction stops at their house, it will be displayed in their
living room. </div>
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The other day she brought it to work so I could borrow it
back, because I needed to sign it and, if dry enough, possibly varnish it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She brought it in the box, and at the end of
the workday, would not let me carry it to my car because I had a drink in my
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That makes me smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She walked me to my car and I had her place
it in my trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did, but made me
promise that the painting would be safe in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about Asher for a while, and she
cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart goes out to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard for her to let me drive off with
the painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I got home, I
sent her a large jpg file of the painting so she could put it on her computer as
wallpaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I brought it
back to her, in its box and wrapped in plastic, she could not resist opening it
to make sure it was still okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
importance of this picture to Marti inspired the title of this blog post. </div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfBuMtNaFuqx1Jxo5Lqax9D360X11WACQwBKeOTn4XX4e8yrUg3DDyfQ2Ag3nSsdhNzaNXWwGkAkFVSejmIS-uYZGLsu8MlocZyZ8g-RU4O4333Vxjoxnajti0vGDwj6Cggjswx_gETI/s1600/Loving+Asher+final3+at+72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfBuMtNaFuqx1Jxo5Lqax9D360X11WACQwBKeOTn4XX4e8yrUg3DDyfQ2Ag3nSsdhNzaNXWwGkAkFVSejmIS-uYZGLsu8MlocZyZ8g-RU4O4333Vxjoxnajti0vGDwj6Cggjswx_gETI/s640/Loving+Asher+final3+at+72.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Loving Asher" 10 x 14" Oil on linen panel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This courageous woman, Marti, came back to our battlefield back
in April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emotionally wounded and
missing her Asher, she comes in and pours her heart into her work by supporting
parents, vigilantly assessing and caring for the babies, and readily and
without hesitation puts scrawny little preemies on their mother’s chest for
skin-to-skin holding so they can draw strength and warmth from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because Marti knows, on a level deeper than
most nurses can know, just how golden that cuddle time is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHYzqcAXar_Aq4LgfbqZt8857tVLxj2yJ4vzNdSeoOUDIyLE4O5Gukrgg-2O6VNUAWvdEo1Yr6IZ0z2QVEVOUuAd4C31RFPm14qFRYASl7vvdlPMdiKDcSq61Zq0_QdxfWpXyXjY0S9Q/s1600/Asher+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHYzqcAXar_Aq4LgfbqZt8857tVLxj2yJ4vzNdSeoOUDIyLE4O5Gukrgg-2O6VNUAWvdEo1Yr6IZ0z2QVEVOUuAd4C31RFPm14qFRYASl7vvdlPMdiKDcSq61Zq0_QdxfWpXyXjY0S9Q/s200/Asher+A.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-23619807777811512202012-06-23T15:38:00.000-07:002014-10-08T12:09:38.579-07:00Dad's 4th Grade ReaderMy dad gave me his 4th grade reader. I love the look of old books, and I wanted to include this one in a painting.<br />
<br />
My original plan was to stick a white rose in that vase, but I decided instead to feature this more visually interesting oakleaf hydrangea blossom that I borrowed from my landscaping. Pretty sure that was a good call.<br />
<br />
The dark blue vase was sculpted by my son, when he was a kid, at the Broad Ripple Art Fair. A friend of ours painted and fired it for us. I love that thalo blue/green color!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-nobbe/dads-fourth-grade-reader/272545" target="_blank">Click here to purchase.</a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCwXyIdoMGxJKYVUK8sKq2NxMqu25UN3YM6amS6BWC4UXdrOeIv-Bpr6ikBWtkJT_39_bMfbzcYfMdvf4p7DOnAC9Mf7Gi8Qda-E9SQAEgymoK0TweEMOZjumEcuyhsGh0n_Ifrk6msU/s1600/Dad%2527s+4th+Grade+Reader.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCwXyIdoMGxJKYVUK8sKq2NxMqu25UN3YM6amS6BWC4UXdrOeIv-Bpr6ikBWtkJT_39_bMfbzcYfMdvf4p7DOnAC9Mf7Gi8Qda-E9SQAEgymoK0TweEMOZjumEcuyhsGh0n_Ifrk6msU/s400/Dad%2527s+4th+Grade+Reader.png" height="400" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad's 4th Grade Reader, 11 x 14, oil on canvas </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-8764604209011843172012-06-20T16:12:00.000-07:002012-06-20T16:13:01.171-07:00Becky's Save-the-DateBecky, a coworker of mine at the NICU, is getting married soon. She asked me to design her "Save the Date". She gave me all the locations in the Indianapolis area that were significant in her relationship with Marcus, and that hold a special place in their hearts. She also gave me some examples of whimsical maps that she has seen, and her personal vision for her own version.<br />
<br />
I put this together in Photoshop Elements. It was a challenging project, with all the details existing on a different layer. But having it that way did make revisions go smoothly. After Becky requested some tweaks on my part, she sent it to her printer. The printer did a great job, and now these postcards have traveled all over the globe to her loved ones.<br />
<br />
Although I do not intend to make and sell these as a part of my art business, it was fun to experiment with graphic design again. And it was especially fun to see Becky really love them. In fact, she says she had it printed larger and framed for hanging in her home.<br />
<br />
Congrats and warm wishes to Becky and Marcus! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T9nhFJ_lvZ4brFFmabMRDJVhnUYGsPUTwE99iQelEDSL5DImTs3P0ORfd3z_LELCBWIceTAa_t_F8rRi8PYqMYjHRfiMAaxrd3AnhxB_7ozu1AVK10UVRhi3ldQs2MgCI-a_z13tpmI/s1600/save+the+date+final.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T9nhFJ_lvZ4brFFmabMRDJVhnUYGsPUTwE99iQelEDSL5DImTs3P0ORfd3z_LELCBWIceTAa_t_F8rRi8PYqMYjHRfiMAaxrd3AnhxB_7ozu1AVK10UVRhi3ldQs2MgCI-a_z13tpmI/s640/save+the+date+final.png" width="414" /></a></div>
<br />Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-458597630761533522012-02-12T14:33:00.000-08:002012-03-28T13:27:13.918-07:00Freedom Art<style>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">I’ve been wondering
if there is a way for my artwork to serve God and bless others. In my nursing job, it’s easy to feel as
though my work is for the Lord.
But with art… well, art is a “want”, not a “need.” I wasn’t sure how God could use my
skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">My question was
answered when I was approached by my coworker, Ann Deweese. She invited me to participate in an
important opportunity to help young women who have been enslaved by human
trafficking and the sex trade. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">Her daughter Sarah
is involved in the Red Light Campaign, which is a student led campaign to end
sex trafficking. It is happening
on IU’s campus during the month of February. Among many other events, the team is hosting a formal art
auction on February 18<sup>th</sup>, 2012, in Alumni Hall. Here is the link with more information
about “A Night for Freedom”: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/365863970090894/">https://www.facebook.com/events/365863970090894/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">All of the proceeds
will go to <a href="http://www.raphahouse.org/">Rapha House</a>, a safehouse in Cambodia for girls rescued from the sex
trade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">My job was to
create a painting that represents “freedom.” This is what I came up with. I hope it brings them a small fortune. I feel honored to assist these
inspiring young adults who, working together, are a light of hope in this dark
and scary world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">Thanks for thinking
of me, Ann. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSdxf9Bb9zWvkvEn8E5JIYzIrpTVwvKLjiMr81SxtXc5fhlF_rDzyZPiZU-2DsH9yxcU1CZDnfoz8q05Kif2-o5xP2qYFa7CI4oZfMqzSS8g7CFardPatzGXNHxcPy8x1DwQlOrSHiwU/s1600/Freedom+Painting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSdxf9Bb9zWvkvEn8E5JIYzIrpTVwvKLjiMr81SxtXc5fhlF_rDzyZPiZU-2DsH9yxcU1CZDnfoz8q05Kif2-o5xP2qYFa7CI4oZfMqzSS8g7CFardPatzGXNHxcPy8x1DwQlOrSHiwU/s400/Freedom+Painting.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fly Away" 8 x 10 Acrylic on canvas board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-19724251968901928332012-01-18T12:45:00.000-08:002012-01-18T12:45:16.506-08:00Sharla's Girls<style>
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</style><span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";"></span><span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";"> My friend and
coworker Sharla asked me to draw a portrait of her kids (cats), Ming and Bella.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me awhile to get to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, in the meanwhile, Ming
succumbed to an illness on June 20, 2011. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sharla provided me with a photo of them
when they were still kittens, back in 1998.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">I asked Sharla to
tell me about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are her
words… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Chancery"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
got them while I lived in Colorado. Ming and Bella were littermates.
I wanted a Russian Blue which is what Bella is (a knock off) and most people
thought Ming was a blue point Siamese. Ming was very sweet, affectionate,
and active. I called her my little gymnast. We used to play with a
feather on a stick and she would jump up very high in the air and do flips!
Her eyes were so blue it was amazing to me. She used to come in the room
when I did Yoga and do her own little routine, rolling around everywhere.
She was such a precious little soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Chancery"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Bella
has always been the less active of the two, preferring to lay in the sunbeams
and watch the great outdoors. She is very much a lap cat and has been much
more affectionate since Ming died. Bella loves to be brushed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Chancery"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
also used to love it when they would lay together, all curled up close. I
used to say they looked like one big cat with two heads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Chancery"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ming
used to meet me at the door when I would come home, kinda like a dog would do
and roll over on her back so I could scratch her tummy. Bella has now
taken to doing this (interesting, huh?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Charcoal and pastel on Colourfix paper, 9”x11”</span></div>
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<br /></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-62412742679409160952011-12-20T20:49:00.000-08:002011-12-20T20:54:35.241-08:00One of My Favorite Places<style>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">This fall, I posted
about my new plein air painting system, and how I was practicing using it on my
own property. Well, here is a
painting that I worked on outside until the weather shut me down and the leaves
fell away. My plein air painting
became a studio painting based on photographic references. This painting then served as my reference for the etching I did in my last blog post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">I’m giving it to my
husband. It’s a painting of the
patio that he built and is rightfully proud of, and the place where we
like to eat our summertime suppers together. Life is good.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-87287152124871549252011-12-01T20:36:00.001-08:002011-12-01T20:45:13.882-08:00Etching<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">I’ve been taking a
5 week etching class at the IAC.<span>
</span>Etching is a printmaking process that goes something like this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">1.<span> </span>Prepare a copper plate by cleaning it,
spray painting the back side, and then coating the front side with asphaltum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">2.<span> </span>Scratch through the asphaltum (like
scratchboard) with a sharp tool to expose the copper plate.<span> </span>Every scratch mark will translate to
black in the final print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">3.<span> </span>Soak the plate in acid for about 25
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">4.<span> </span>Clean off the asphaltum, leaving a
clean, etched copper plate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">5.<span> </span>Ink the plate, and wipe off most of the
ink with a wad of starchy cheesecloth.<span>
</span>The ink will settle down into the etched grooves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">6.<span> </span>Place the plate and a moistened sheet
of printmaking paper together, and run it through a press (like a big, overgrown
rolling pin).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">7.<span> </span>Separate, and voila!<span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">Tonight I finished
up with steps 3 through 7, and I just wanted to share what my first print
looked like.<span> It measures 4"x6". </span>I think I’m going to
tint it with colored pencil.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjv7c8mgWEjUz_ZelhXY-aouFzSm-s2scDiRckhFYyRhZysTPrvshNfcw47YKtKRo09yQ0grR2IUzQcGENdt04zuweanwYZm_p8GAjCE-IXRZfioQuloPbR8mTkAqOcwWYlqcnpsLcI8/s1600/etching1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjv7c8mgWEjUz_ZelhXY-aouFzSm-s2scDiRckhFYyRhZysTPrvshNfcw47YKtKRo09yQ0grR2IUzQcGENdt04zuweanwYZm_p8GAjCE-IXRZfioQuloPbR8mTkAqOcwWYlqcnpsLcI8/s400/etching1.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">I’ve done this
process back in art school, and in a future post, I might share some of those.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Apple Casual";">Note to my family...yeah, I know it's the reverse view of our patio. I forgot to reverse the image when I was scratching the plate. Oopsie. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-69685976360063064162011-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:002011-11-09T06:41:23.360-08:00Edith<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Just wanted to share my hot-off-the-drawing-table
drawing. It is done in colored
pencil for Jerry and Linda, a dear couple who have found me worthy of drawing each and every
one of their grandchildren as gifts to their children. We have had this wonderful
client-artist relationship for a several years now. I think this is the last grandchild that will be coming
along. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">First, let me introduce this little cutey named Edith. She was waiting for my arrival, all dressed up and sitting patiently in the sun-room of her grandmother's house. I was taken by how the sunlight lit up her hair, as if she were an angel (the photo doesn't really capture that). I'm not even trying to be sappy. I was truly struck by her. She was soooo good through the photo shoot.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1pU4YgHeWysJgaRZuc8U2XfP0_BsFSj8qWQ1-GsRl5w_O6Oe-zT-v82kvytB7Yx80acXDzopGXzx59ilPCAe7C9ENkAG_MUgajH2r1MWVAFrpO96V4t2Lu0SEi6y1NMrPRxHNDt4HBY/s1600/edith+cutey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1pU4YgHeWysJgaRZuc8U2XfP0_BsFSj8qWQ1-GsRl5w_O6Oe-zT-v82kvytB7Yx80acXDzopGXzx59ilPCAe7C9ENkAG_MUgajH2r1MWVAFrpO96V4t2Lu0SEi6y1NMrPRxHNDt4HBY/s320/edith+cutey.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Her parents looked at all the photos, and chose the following pose, which they felt best captured Edith's personality. I labored to show the little fly-away strands of hair, because they caught the light, and little girls are perfect like that. </span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXOh0xVCOAdXGWVY451qku1BWpoInzofGrAV3StmmtLC_S2uV_i0-2t_FL6WY7S5jKubucwu9g1htN9mFNNu5PYwo3Krt7L-54DoBMoBvA7JdbXxKbHhIr9fBuNjS_L3JpjrXJ69euJk/s1600/Edith+drawing2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXOh0xVCOAdXGWVY451qku1BWpoInzofGrAV3StmmtLC_S2uV_i0-2t_FL6WY7S5jKubucwu9g1htN9mFNNu5PYwo3Krt7L-54DoBMoBvA7JdbXxKbHhIr9fBuNjS_L3JpjrXJ69euJk/s400/Edith+drawing2.png" width="315" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Below is a close-up, which for some reason shows the color of the paper more accurately. Click on these images to enlarge. It seems to look better when enlarged.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZp5N7ViHHRz0LLuD0EAfSb0VAMSIZNsBlyXieUQIyCyo7lCcDK4G94Aa8CXgy34myc3qW_toaq2ONlmPazycO4TDZQT4b8RW3O_IEAQQnfE0-rngMsalByYihhMO4c800S7ZUL9cHIg/s1600/Edith+drawing+closeup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZp5N7ViHHRz0LLuD0EAfSb0VAMSIZNsBlyXieUQIyCyo7lCcDK4G94Aa8CXgy34myc3qW_toaq2ONlmPazycO4TDZQT4b8RW3O_IEAQQnfE0-rngMsalByYihhMO4c800S7ZUL9cHIg/s400/Edith+drawing+closeup.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Edith is drawn on gray Stonehenge paper, in black and white,
with hints of color reminiscent of a hand tinted photograph. I used this style in the portraits of her two older
brothers, and I wish I had done it for their cousins as well, but I hadn’t
figured out this technique when I drew theirs. Anyway, if you go to my <a href="http://connienobbe.com/#home">website</a>, you can see some (but not
all) of the grandchildren I had the privilege of working with for this
family. They’re the ones done on
gray paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next project…kitty cats for my friend Sharla.</span></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-59266517901810799252011-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:002011-08-22T17:37:02.378-07:00Qiang Huang workshopI just finished a fabulous 3-day painting workshop with master artist Qiang Huang (pronounced Chong Wong). I have been stalking his <a href="http://qiang-huang.blogspot.com/"><i>blog</i></a> for a while now, and I took a workshop with him 2 years ago in Cincinnati. This time it was in Noblesville, IN, hosted by the Hamilton County Artist’ Association. I love his work, it’s so fresh and lively and painterly. He just retired from his career as a physicist/engineer/rocket scientist, because his painting career has flourished. His genius definitely carries over into his artwork. Up close his paintings are an abstract collection of beautifully applied brushstrokes (total eye candy). From further away it is obvious that each stroke is there for a reason, and the whole painting becomes the scene he was capturing (again, total eye candy). There's no brush brush brush, blend blend blend. He puts it down and doesn't fuss over it, because each stroke of the brush is just right. It makes for a very strong painting.<br />
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Each day, Qiang would lecture with a power point presentation. The first 2 days he followed up lecture with a demo. He set up and painted a beautiful still life arrangement, and his demo was also video projected on a big screen for all to be able to see. Here is a <a href="http://www.artistdaily.com/blogs/features/archive/2009/05/20/qiang-huang-myth-buster.aspx">LINK</a> to an article about Qiang’s teachings, for those who wish to know more about him.<br />
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I just want to share some photos of my experience…<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_Pn8FltV-8VQ8Iqvtl20p54STObOu_shXHz0jQjx3EZPrtrJ-SVfa4Tsd5ziazAJvy0uhla7koFi3aMQ8Us71ghtp2e_bOQ2BaKFY6lvu1_uRdSZ2gIizpx_-pD_gAZfvAcR9vr7UDQ/s1600/DSCN0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_Pn8FltV-8VQ8Iqvtl20p54STObOu_shXHz0jQjx3EZPrtrJ-SVfa4Tsd5ziazAJvy0uhla7koFi3aMQ8Us71ghtp2e_bOQ2BaKFY6lvu1_uRdSZ2gIizpx_-pD_gAZfvAcR9vr7UDQ/s200/DSCN0436.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Here he is, priming his canvas with linseed oil.<br />
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This is a photo of the items he arranged for his still life demo.<br />
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The initial block-in...<br />
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The painting as it progresses...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The finished painting:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFPzErmbdxDNZ23Sm62zayR1P2n2D_Xf0Vqrq3aIZnks8R334GU_5nA3gqF0y5ZF69dgK98uaLXLYHoUlEIDhtm2ago0ZBM3TVfq3MfyAYmIhesS3lZHQWyIygErqT1ekA9fxmlpOecI/s1600/Demo+at+Noblesville+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFPzErmbdxDNZ23Sm62zayR1P2n2D_Xf0Vqrq3aIZnks8R334GU_5nA3gqF0y5ZF69dgK98uaLXLYHoUlEIDhtm2ago0ZBM3TVfq3MfyAYmIhesS3lZHQWyIygErqT1ekA9fxmlpOecI/s400/Demo+at+Noblesville+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is the finished demo from the second day. Isn't it gorgeous? Roses are so difficult to paint so we watched closely.<br />
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We students gave it a go. This is my painting. I think we had about 3 hours to set up the still life, set up our gear, and attack the canvas.<br />
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My friend <a href="http://janettmarie.blogspot.com/">Janettmarie</a> is an accomplished artist in Indianapolis. She took the class with me. She is a sweet and lovely lady. You should check out her <a href="http://janettmarie.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. I learned a bunch from her too.<br />
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This is day 3. I didn't take many photos on day 2. But if you click on the pic and enlarge it, you can see my unfinished day 3 painting on the easel (on the right), and my unfinished painting from day 2 above it. I had a bad habit of not getting my painting done in a timely fashion. Those who know me would not be surprised at this. I'm slow as molasses at everything.<br />
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This is Qiang, and his lovely wife Song, and their son Jonathan. Such dear, sweet people.<br />
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Here is the whole crew. We all had a ton of fun. I want to say thanks to the ladies of the <a href="http://www.hcaa-in.org/">HCAA</a>, who all helped make the workshop a wonderful experience. Many ladies worked hard to make sure we had places to sit, tablets to take notes on, produce, flowers and other stuff to paint, snackies to eat and drink, rides to restaurants at lunch time, ample lighting to paint by, accommodations for Qiang and his family to stay, etc. I appreciated their kindness and hospitality. If I lived closer, I would definitely be hanging out with these sweet ladies. I felt blessed to have met them. Thanks Cheeri Dennis for being a great leader!<br />
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Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-73524073387928573032011-05-25T13:48:00.000-07:002011-05-25T13:48:51.476-07:00NICU pinewood derby car 2011I had the privilege of creating this year's derby car for NICU. The theme this year is "The Hero Within". I posted a plea for ideas on facebook about who our "hero" should be. Good ideas were sent my way, and I settled on this one, submitted by Tami, NNP. She wrote, "Can you make it look like a preemie infant--because their strength in their tiny bodies to overcome so much makes them my heroes :-)." I thought that was pretty sweet, so I decided to honor "NICU babies" as our heroes.<br />
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Well, my husband and I went to work on it. Jeff did the wood design and made the little carseats (he's amazingly creative with woodworking). My daughter Alyssa helped me with photoshop for the banners (she's my 'puter techy). I assembled, painted and decorated it. After much shopping and a ridiculous amount of time spent, we ended up with this (click on the photos for a closer look).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e8ATrnMi5dZW9n0dQVcIwyB38dq5BU0KEoZQiH6wZwM99y7jX_F526x7pym-DbXrAPZ8F7NvC0xsQUer-plXSRjt34jopPH3_xShtJRi35AeZiCm-T8lFgyQ4jgke_J2PLv0BnSKHkY/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e8ATrnMi5dZW9n0dQVcIwyB38dq5BU0KEoZQiH6wZwM99y7jX_F526x7pym-DbXrAPZ8F7NvC0xsQUer-plXSRjt34jopPH3_xShtJRi35AeZiCm-T8lFgyQ4jgke_J2PLv0BnSKHkY/s320/IMG_0919.JPG" /></a></div>Can you see who is driving? One of my favorite nurses, and Kenny Loggins. Well, Kenny is driving, and I'm sure she's distracting him. ;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FL8RgX-r7yzNQEd6IFTKzVWLw56jhlk2_n2InzbdzDm0vsSSpIG248zdPVMOO0N2qV25TaQLBg1Td-a3izVMRYSMEzYeZ8vWTGl8Ej5P9EFUSMD5ceh0BacxJwKtzzPyLvJr3owQpzQ/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FL8RgX-r7yzNQEd6IFTKzVWLw56jhlk2_n2InzbdzDm0vsSSpIG248zdPVMOO0N2qV25TaQLBg1Td-a3izVMRYSMEzYeZ8vWTGl8Ej5P9EFUSMD5ceh0BacxJwKtzzPyLvJr3owQpzQ/s320/IMG_0920.JPG" /></a></div>Yes, AAP would be proud...the kids are rear-facing.<br />
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Um, yep, those are 5 point harnesses.<br />
Did we go overboard? Maybe. But I like it. It was fun.Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-7925573847763242011-04-24T07:42:00.000-07:002011-04-24T07:42:17.909-07:00Happy Easter 2011Drawn from an etching by Gustave Dore, called "Jesus Scourged".<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_otGF3oNhMI0P8PQpGrOj-gi1ysPPPhXPd7Iz140rNNybhxZWTVDeaXp7n8lvl0cEatbFA1GhuZyl1M-H7OgGp56lvgUlUOloRyeHfNddDhpK8V3OsWy5T2TKmJYg0h_m_13t2WIBc2U/s1600/Jesus+scourged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="284" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_otGF3oNhMI0P8PQpGrOj-gi1ysPPPhXPd7Iz140rNNybhxZWTVDeaXp7n8lvl0cEatbFA1GhuZyl1M-H7OgGp56lvgUlUOloRyeHfNddDhpK8V3OsWy5T2TKmJYg0h_m_13t2WIBc2U/s320/Jesus+scourged.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Happy Easter!Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-40760205057496658542011-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:002011-01-25T19:48:40.658-08:00He can paint!My son Jake is very talented in drawing. Problem is, he doesn't have the patience to do it. His interests lie in other things. <br />
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Well, he made the mistake of asking me what I wanted for Christmas. I told him I wanted him to come paint with me at a Wine and Canvas event (his treat). I figured it would be fun to have him all to myself for a couple hours, plus I would get to see him paint. At first he was dreading the thought. But when he got there, he seemed to have fun.<br />
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He was being so silly the whole time and making me laugh.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbmbd3V6lpLfJ4y445rW442JApZ1VmereOYZm6VOm9GIUFxthB6_FxSNUFvCPWPLoWnB5raI8W3Ee_IJkk2QlWi3Zji_81858k45hAoLLmevCXj7llR0Y09qKtIzWae6Nu-sYAgIBF1g/s1600/DSCN0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbmbd3V6lpLfJ4y445rW442JApZ1VmereOYZm6VOm9GIUFxthB6_FxSNUFvCPWPLoWnB5raI8W3Ee_IJkk2QlWi3Zji_81858k45hAoLLmevCXj7llR0Y09qKtIzWae6Nu-sYAgIBF1g/s200/DSCN0075.JPG" /></a></div>This is Jake taking a pic of his masterpiece-in-the-making, and sending it to his girlfriend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzmCJ7Xiw-Lxx36noo77H-ufTnPcPWrN7qW-Z4uu-RPjlxDbobmN6w8L6Yi3iL1Ns8DFsWkDHOjfWiBwmn1aEpH9kyfyExXkKFfF8z_kPNwk9VFd5Ph-zIjsdlnYQhP8SO4eZoV5avLk/s1600/DSCN0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzmCJ7Xiw-Lxx36noo77H-ufTnPcPWrN7qW-Z4uu-RPjlxDbobmN6w8L6Yi3iL1Ns8DFsWkDHOjfWiBwmn1aEpH9kyfyExXkKFfF8z_kPNwk9VFd5Ph-zIjsdlnYQhP8SO4eZoV5avLk/s200/DSCN0076.JPG" /></a></div>Getting closer to being done...he was always 5 steps behind the instructor, but he pulled it together at the end.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJl9jzT1TBjTH0H-1S6lo1pUspySH7W1oah14l6Ik-YYVfF_yZH2aogsjGWI49sYA_WEgNJtonY9p_aLZlfdpxFGTcIQM6BJRozMd6emD8Q_b19oIDZg9i4IS3gfseAHzwv0KmEnFvzQ/s1600/DSCN0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJl9jzT1TBjTH0H-1S6lo1pUspySH7W1oah14l6Ik-YYVfF_yZH2aogsjGWI49sYA_WEgNJtonY9p_aLZlfdpxFGTcIQM6BJRozMd6emD8Q_b19oIDZg9i4IS3gfseAHzwv0KmEnFvzQ/s320/DSCN0078.JPG" /></a></div>This was my favorite Christmas present he ever gave me!<br />
When it was over, we went across the street so I could introduce him to the fabulousness of The Cheesecake Factory. He declared it his new favorite restaurant.Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-7535592393877499272011-01-21T08:20:00.000-08:002011-01-21T08:20:07.421-08:00Teeny Tiny PaintingsAlyssa and I spent an evening making teeny tiny paintings. It was fun! We even painted the teeny tiny easels to match.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvW5kcFrzz_7-ukrV_JmjE2J7sV1p1yZ2sA48qeaf72aF0TYn4z3zL4JrVxTNy6zztl-WKi9HipbUX2_wkQEVDxVBundMknyaSt8f4orsUVhsStbZHDiHD-0ulu6EsDT79TRJDlS76Lw/s1600/DSCN0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvW5kcFrzz_7-ukrV_JmjE2J7sV1p1yZ2sA48qeaf72aF0TYn4z3zL4JrVxTNy6zztl-WKi9HipbUX2_wkQEVDxVBundMknyaSt8f4orsUVhsStbZHDiHD-0ulu6EsDT79TRJDlS76Lw/s400/DSCN0082.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWERLEnM2fI-k_ZkcCvbMZEXvBsyq29kbtE-IwyUA0hze8e27gQP8-lNPWx9J-6L1z7VCqRDlV7PHJgn4_Fg9NOwaF2NFM-LLZtXqJbTjyfWP_JQ_i_H3e_Zk9TUGyevyFQ-By21BEyyw/s1600/DSCN0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWERLEnM2fI-k_ZkcCvbMZEXvBsyq29kbtE-IwyUA0hze8e27gQP8-lNPWx9J-6L1z7VCqRDlV7PHJgn4_Fg9NOwaF2NFM-LLZtXqJbTjyfWP_JQ_i_H3e_Zk9TUGyevyFQ-By21BEyyw/s400/DSCN0091.JPG" /></a></div>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-22122678392759139002010-12-17T20:20:00.000-08:002010-12-17T20:20:34.200-08:00Winter Solstice at the IMALast evening my daughter and I decided to attend the Winter Solstice event to see what it's like. <br />
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First we stopped to enjoy the ice carvers.<br />
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We went into the gift shop and heard Christmas music emanating from the greenhouse, and discovered this violinist and flautist there, along with a small but appreciative audience.<br />
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After warming up, we braved the cold again and got some hot chocolate (with a hint of hazelnut flavor...mmmmm!) and brownies. There were some winter animals available for petting: A reindeer, an owl, and a bunny. The reindeer was so loved that I could not get a good camera shot.<br />
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After warming up at the fire pit, we followed the luminary path over to the Lilly House.<br />
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Inside we watched a harpist make beautiful music. We were not allowed to use flash photography inside the house, so these images are a bit blurry.<br />
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After our Lilly House tour, we took a few more shots outside before leaving for home.<br />
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Blurry shot because we didn't want to use flash.<br />
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What a nice mother/daughter date!Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-41533941605674324222010-06-15T16:13:00.000-07:002010-06-15T16:49:22.482-07:00Our New DrivewayWe just got a new driveway poured!!! May sound dull to some, but to us, it's a big deal!! We have been waiting a long time to get this accomplished, and we are very excited at how much it has improved our property. My dad used to be a general contractor in my hometown, and my uncle had a concrete company. I grew up seeing big construction projects come together. So it's been fun for me seeing my fixer-upper house evolve over the years at the hands of my talented do-it-yourselfer husband. (However, the driveway was poured by Tate Concrete) Here is a little slideshow...<br />
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<br/>Next year, hopefully, we can landscape around it.Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-18838784803801608542010-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:002010-04-28T07:04:57.455-07:00CogsworthMy nephew and godson, Noah, played Cogsworth in his school play, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr." We saw his performance last week at South Decatur Elementary. He did a great job!!! He is seen here having a conversation with Lumiere.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvegpH6sNsxJ5T3eIov0yDbIm7obiZidVuLpVG0V9YllKXhH2LlWdLN3BzTItw4e2i0hbjaoSdbQ02fm4gIyzTMWpnji7xeM9AH2n4m706TNGihb-JDsU_BAi4fFKPszcn59R-OX7j2uI/s1600/Beauty%20&%20Beast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvegpH6sNsxJ5T3eIov0yDbIm7obiZidVuLpVG0V9YllKXhH2LlWdLN3BzTItw4e2i0hbjaoSdbQ02fm4gIyzTMWpnji7xeM9AH2n4m706TNGihb-JDsU_BAi4fFKPszcn59R-OX7j2uI/s320/Beauty%20&%20Beast1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We had a backstage pass and got to hobnob with the top Nob. Here you can see him out of his boxy clock costume. No, that's not a real mustache. ;) He still has clock hands drawn on his face. But you can still see what a good looking guy he is. I got his autograph on my playbill. And NO, I'm not going to sell it, so don't even ask me! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QlwuoBEy2ZLJsa6fK41PDPW-hxhSDVwqZvDsfc__EX4F7S6S-foUZ7sobeb2FRPOq7VHg8i4u4tufvvU3DbkpTvffG06xFCtqPFM6D4bcKXg9a_rbOZhisCp_j2aMThMJtqrzqMUcZM/s1600/Jeff+Noah+Connie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QlwuoBEy2ZLJsa6fK41PDPW-hxhSDVwqZvDsfc__EX4F7S6S-foUZ7sobeb2FRPOq7VHg8i4u4tufvvU3DbkpTvffG06xFCtqPFM6D4bcKXg9a_rbOZhisCp_j2aMThMJtqrzqMUcZM/s320/Jeff+Noah+Connie.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>Afterward, we went to his house and hung out with him and family to celebrate Noah's 12th birthday. Now, I need to explain that Noah has chickens and so we try to bombard him with chicken-themed gifts. One was a T-shirt that says, <i>"I don't have a short attention span, I just...Oh look a chicken!!"</i> He laughed out loud at that one, so I guess he liked it. Noah's mom said that it was a very appropriate shirt! I wonder what she means?<br />
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Okay, so here is a pic of the other gift, which allows me to unabashedly show off my latest little artwork (which is the underlying theme of my blog anyway). It's a chicken bank, which originally was blank white and intended to be decorated, so I couldn't resist doing that for Noah. Here are the pics. I'm not sure which he liked more, the bank or the cold, hard cash that was lovingly placed in it.<br />
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Thanks to Noah, Alli, Trent, Lori, Mitch, and Joan for a fun afternoon. And thanks for the farm eggs!! That will always keep us coming back for more!!Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-85876432695946075892010-04-14T05:45:00.000-07:002010-04-14T05:45:08.965-07:00An Amazing Guy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Jcy8IxF1mWJ2Fo_QqwZHheqzrREa8aOvDBFbpdYyBdvdZm7_jUso2e2Ly_NgLeqtzuAsU1q_nScm2noEmikqd40Wo5ra140olMHz-_44BYoOSO6SqnXIIXP5y_Rqahnmz9SvTjg5TM/s1600/SimonCowell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Jcy8IxF1mWJ2Fo_QqwZHheqzrREa8aOvDBFbpdYyBdvdZm7_jUso2e2Ly_NgLeqtzuAsU1q_nScm2noEmikqd40Wo5ra140olMHz-_44BYoOSO6SqnXIIXP5y_Rqahnmz9SvTjg5TM/s400/SimonCowell.jpg" width="275" /></a><br />
I was working on this drawing last night. I've been reading Tom Richmond's tutorials on caricature, and trying to apply his technique. Tom is an <b><i>amazingly</i></b> talented illustrator for MAD Magazine. If you like looking at funny caricatures, you should check out his blog. He cracks me up! <a href="http://www.tomrichmond.com/caricatures.php">http://www.tomrichmond.com/caricatures.php</a>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-41593327639358327552010-04-04T19:20:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:28:13.575-07:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSorqWFuc8fJJi4PnUTRSkNdmhaH3nyv58XjLSHOdV016GDiy-0L-Zh_S-g_NkOSZ64aIjT7snvoWHnxjqQVJlbRuCwypSOI2juinBuViV1mxFP-seMhZT6jzrSMcB3EpgohUSoDA2_k/s1600/Guercino+Christ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSorqWFuc8fJJi4PnUTRSkNdmhaH3nyv58XjLSHOdV016GDiy-0L-Zh_S-g_NkOSZ64aIjT7snvoWHnxjqQVJlbRuCwypSOI2juinBuViV1mxFP-seMhZT6jzrSMcB3EpgohUSoDA2_k/s320/Guercino+Christ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
<b>Christ is Risen! </b><br />
I missed church today, because it was my weekend to work. But Christ was with us in the NICU today, as He is every day. <br />
Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Easter holiday!<br />
This is a sketch I did of a detail from Guercino's painting <i>Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, c. 1621</i>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery</a>Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127391138409271884.post-21107831137314677942010-03-08T17:49:00.000-08:002010-03-08T17:49:49.819-08:00Jake's Fun Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNOyj1T8tX3t1XSwCWsNxBYkY2G9IcLK7Z5qmT25CNzA9YwUBahZfnwdxSuUo8qC0dInUzbJPLb2JxvRro4uowtjJQ25G8AcOPiYL3w4dX1Zk6IfWmpi5_wwYrPGIY2WS9t5kLM0G_5c/s1600-h/0308000703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNOyj1T8tX3t1XSwCWsNxBYkY2G9IcLK7Z5qmT25CNzA9YwUBahZfnwdxSuUo8qC0dInUzbJPLb2JxvRro4uowtjJQ25G8AcOPiYL3w4dX1Zk6IfWmpi5_wwYrPGIY2WS9t5kLM0G_5c/s320/0308000703.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My son Jake kicked off a rockin' Spring Break with a surgical procedure to fix his paralyzed vocal cord, which has plagued him since his old NICU days. His surgeon, Dr. Stacey Halum, MD, a laryngologist and Director of the IU Clinic for Voice, Swallowing and Airway Disorders, performed the procedure. This was actually a trial run with collagen injections to the affected cord. If he gets a good result, he can return for another procedure that involves placement of a more permanent implant. He is looking forward to being able to yell to his ultimate frizbee teammates. I wonder if he will still sing first tenor? This week he is supposed to rest his voice so it can heal, so today he has been typing and texting to communicate.Connie Nobbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367762090303903057noreply@blogger.com0