Friday, March 18, 2016
Technology
| A couple days ago I was sitting in the car waiting for Paul to finish up some business he had going on. While sitting there I decided to go through my mail which we had just picked up from the mailbox. I saw that my new health insurance information finally came after being many weeks late. I ripped open the envelope and grabbed the letter and started reading it immediately (still folded in three mind you) and I got past the first paragraph and literally took my finger to scroll up so I could read more. Instead of unfolding the paper . . . My finger went to SCROLL up. Time to step away from electronics . . . As I type this on my laptop. |
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Unclad Art 2016
| So. I have been juggling a bit. Got engaged on Valentine's Day and now my fiancee actually expects me to like be a partner and help out on stuff. Ugh (insert whiny noise that only really annoying girls can make) It's actually nice but don't tell him that. I like a distraction and it just makes me more determined to create more art. I have long distances to travel through beautiful country one way, and then a ferry commute the other way. I have a lot of thinking during this time which is helped out by podcast subscriptions. If you have a podcast recommendation please let me know. I LOVE humorous female podcast host. I need to share with you that the Unclad Art show is this weekend and I hope to see you there. I have 2 pieces and for whatever reason THIS one never makes it into any of the advertisements? What? Why? Soooo confused. *why isn't there a sarcasm font yet? Edmonds Yacht Club. Yo. www.uncladart.com
(The Joy of Cooking)
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Monday, December 14, 2015
When Riding Nick
 I created the painting "When Riding Nick" over 12 years ago. Oh Nick. My sweet dumb boy. My farrier came out one day to trim my horses and mentioned that the big fancy ranch he mostly worked at was liquidating a bunch of horses for about $500 each and had to go ASAP. Immediately I perked up because a ranch of hundreds of horses and really? Come on! I could easily be a horse hoarder if my finances allowed it. So I arranged to go with my farrier a few days later to meet these horses and finally see this ranch that I had heard too much about not only from Mike, my farrier, but from many other people. The facilities were amazing and I learned a few things that day. One, the fancy mares don't actually carry out pregnancies, but rather they have "junk mares" that are inseminated with the quality mare's fertilized embryo. Two, that there is a special stallion whose job it is simply to excite and prepare the mares in season for breeding, and "he was very good at his job" but he was not used for the actual breeding. It made me kind of sad that these horses were getting screwed without actually getting screwed. After my tour it turned out there were 3 geldings to pick from. The first horse I met was this big LONG guy that obviously was not used to being in a stall. Was he chestnut, Sorrel, palomino? His color was so ambiguous! He kept popping his big head out into the isle without any regard to us humans that were in his space. He had zero sense of being in anybody's bubble. I requested we take him out of the stall to get a better look at him. Again, this guy was clueless to me leading him around and kept yanking me around with his ginormous head and neck, but yet leaning into me for safety by being as close as possible, as if I could protect this 1200 lb animal. I've never met a horse with worse ground manners, but I also knew he didn't have a mean bone in his body. Obviously to me he was just very nervous not being in a herd environment- and I'm not sure why he was in such a hurry to get back to the herd because I said to Mike, "Well, he certainly lives up to his name". The horse had more herd-inflicted scratches, bites, and cuts on him than I have ever seen on any horse. His tail looked like it was mostly rubbed and bitten off. Yep. This would be Nick. The next horse was the most beautiful Quarter Horse I have ever seen. He looked like an Arabian with a pretty little dishy face and long mane and tail. He was a glowing shiny bay with all the chrome and a registered name so long that it capitalized on every famous horse he was bred to, including the ranch's name. Although Nick had a very nice foundation AQHA pedigree, Fancy Pant's horse was money. He was also one of those horses bred and raised on the ranch and no outgoing personality to show towards humans. He had a job to do and he took it seriously. He was a horse with no obvious drama and very, very nice to look at. The third guy was a large gentle thoroughbred in an open pasture with many other horses that took some time warming up to Mike, but quickly came to me. I liked him, but at this point I still couldn't get the other 2 horses off my mind and time was running out as the horses were shipping to auction the next day. After a few hours it came down to riding the horses and seeing them under saddle to know which one I was going to take home. Nick was first. He was big, goofy and lumbering with a terrible canter. Nothing special about him under saddle other than he was afraid of the robotic cow they had for roping. Even though he was scared, I never felt unsafe. The other fancy pants gelding was a dream to ride with the smoothest gaits. He did everything he was told to and rode like a dream horse. Needless to say, I picked Nick. I know that Mike and the trainer thought I was crazy when I chose Nick especially when he ended up costing not even close to $500 but by then it was too late. I was smitten and the heart wants what it wants. I knew that Fancy Pants gelding would never come running because I had treats, or because he wanted to be brushed. I also knew that I would have to seriously work on ground manners with Nick if I didn't want to have my feet trampled or pushed into walls. Honestly, Nick never really got the ground manners thing, but he did get better. He never became fully aware of his size and length and big old neck that with one head turn could send me flying in the direction that he wanted to look. But trail riding with him was so easy, fun, and relaxing. I rode him by himself bareback everywhere despite his wicked withers which were impossibly high. He very rarely spooked but when he did he would turn and spin so fast that I never saw or felt it coming. I would simply be facing a different direction in half a second flat. He never bucked, bolted, snorted, reared or anything dangerous or stupid. I would take my son then 4 year-old on many riding adventures with a little saddle that attached to the back of mine.
The painting I created was a of a typical ride on Nick. We went into the neighbor's field where I would canter a bit and just walk around and enjoy nature where we would see deer and hawks. Nick was I ended up selling Nick many years later at a sizable profit to a beginner rider who I thought Nick would be perfect for. I often wonder how Nick is doing but at the same time I don't want to know. He was one of those guys that will always be in my heart. https://www.etsy.com/listing/260577179/horse-decor-colorful-art-print-from |
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Again with the mother effin' insomnia
| It's getting worse. So much worse. I have had this problem since I can remember, other than being in college and not being able to STAY awake. I spent so much time sleeping in libraries, on grass on the campus, and literally in class. I don't know that person any more. I usually go to bed at around midnight with the help of Klonzapan . . . or two if need be. If I find myself getting anxious I will take a half of an ambien. Lately it's been a whole ambien, like tonight because I'm sick of this crazy ass sleep pattern where I wake up 4 or 5 hours wide awake. That's how it went down tonight. One Klozapan, one FULL ambien at 1:40 am. Wide the fuck awake at 2 am. I have found that eating a large meal or especially carbs will mess with my sleep which did not happen tonight. I'm not dumb. I even read that your nymph nodes drain on the left which aids in digestion, so I chilled on my left. No complex carbs to spike my sugar level. Take notes to other hippy dippy things I have done to ensure sleep. Endorphin's and serotonin levels. Sleeping next to you lover can reduce these stresses and produce happy hormones. Does it work? OMG yes. I can cuddle like a mo' fo and get all the best benefits of it and he doesn't even know I'm occupying his space. He is the best sleeper EVER. So my sleep in in shifts. Once I have found homes for all of my collie puppies I can concentrate on painting which I am JUST DYING to get to again. I am completely Jonesing to start painting without out all of this nonsense. Autumn is so very inspirational to me. I can wait to create more in this theme. Poker and Pumpkins charity event is coming soon. One of my favorite parties to attend! |
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Red wine and ambien
| It's only a matter of time before ambien is off the market. I self-roofie myself nearly every night. I even set a timer for a half hour and then I'm DONE. I won't remember anything thereafter. Facebook has witnessed this. |
Friday, April 10, 2015
High tech shit
| Shit is getting real. I am posting from my phone. And I am really scared because text just went from microscopic to someone is yelling in my face size. When I post this and things look weird, you'll know why. If it doesn't look weird. . . Blogger how did you know I needed to put on glasses ya freaky stalker?? |
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Bears Repeating
Spoiler alert! If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw this post. Yeah, I'm creative that way! But hey, when you are trying to market yourself and have game, you have to take into consideration ALL the effin' social media you have to do. First there's the Etsy listing- which takes awhile let's be honest. Then there's Instagram (grab your phone because you can't do that shit on the laptop!) Oh, don't forget to pin your image to Pinterest. Lastly, my sad blog you are often ignored. So without further ado. Let me repeat myself.
Oh this one has a story! At my first solo gallery exhibit I had to stand around and greet people which is one of the hardest things to do for me. Normally I am really social and have no problem with groups of people. I LOVE parties and meeting new people. When it comes to talking about my art. Abhor it. I am not a natural when it comes time to "sell myself", it feels much like a job interview and I am saying the opposite of what people want to hear. But I got through the evening . . . . but the deal was that I agreeed to paint LIVE in the window the following afternoon. I just can't even. But, I did and it wasn't so bad. And this is what I created: Coquette Sisters. Instilling anxiety just like it was yesterday. (But I like how it all turned out!) https://www.etsy.com/listing/228987289/coquette-sisters-sexy-elegant-feminine
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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
I'm so boring
| When I first started this whole Internet thing back in the dark ages, I was one of forerunners with Ebay and HTML tags, AOL, and all that good stuff. And get this . . . I had a life! Now it seems that marketing online takes FAR more time than actually creating art. The market is saturated with other artists who caught on to this newfangled Internet thing and recently I have been spending a majority of my time researching SEO, keywords, getting noticed on Etsy, gaining more followers on Instagram, and getting Pinned on Pinterest (that was a funny). And this blog is so dusty and old- Just wondering is anybody out there? That's okay if not. I enjoy my own company. *crickets* |
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
| My day is like this:
 Every day is pretty much like this though. My Mom is coming into town this weekend. Little does she know that she will be helping me with Project Organize. What is funny is that I'm very organized, but once I start feeling overwhelmed by STUFF I fall into a downward spiral of disorganization. I just wish I didn't love STUFF so much. I'm such a sentimental fool. But people like being in my home even though it's never clean enough by my standards- there is always lots to see and I've been repeatedly told how cozy it is. I have friends that live bare minimally in what seems like the VERY clean homes. Not me! My home will never have a sterile feeling. My home you can accidentally break shit and I'll be like, oh. Yeah. Bummer. It's just STUFF. But I digress. Topic at hand: Art. I have been really trying to add more and more prints to Etsy and I have 124 items right now and many more to add. It's actually really fun going through old files and finding paintings that I created and forgot all about! Many of them are inspiring to re-do some of them in more of the style I paint now. Some of them are more cartoon-like than what I paint now, but still whimsical. But check out my Etsy shop and tell me what you think. I'd love some feedback and feel free to tell me things that just aren't working for you. That's the critical stuff I need to know! www.artbyshano.etsy.com Don't feel like copying and pasting the link? Look over to your left and there is my Etsy shop under Eye Candy. Time is precious people! |
Friday, October 10, 2014
| So a couple days ago I made a post and I did re-read that night and saw all the grammar errors and crap I wanted to change. I am not going to re-read at this point and am going to leave it in its full hatchet mode. I'll revisit it later because when I wrote it, it was raw and honest and my first instinct is to edit it. Stepping away from trying to be that perfect person that everybody tries to be, and what I am going to try to be is honest to myself. So today was my last day as office manager at a real estate company. They job was great. I love the people, the job was challenging at times, and so super slack at others and I rolled with the punches, and I really, really loved it. However, I need to be true to my soul and that is working with animals because I have that gift. My soul also needs to paint and create. My entire life even before I was 5 years of age was wishing that I could be a horse trainer and artist when I grew up. Although I will most likely never be a professional horse trainer (I'm too fucking old to deal with injury) I will take a rescue horse and find the perfect home for them. My dream now is to continue with my animals and just create things that come from my soul. And I know its hippy dippy, but I believe people are put here on earth do do something with their lives- for the good or for the better. Some people say they don't have a gift and I don't believe that. What I believe is that people are put here in life to make a difference- Be it art, music, volunteering, mentoring, raising a family ... The list is endless. Everybody makes a difference in somebody's life be it for the worse or for the better. We don't live in Eutopia and some people were put here just to make everybody's life a challenge. I don't know. Let's not get too deep. That said, I will most likely lay off the heavy thinking (perhaps not right away) but I will always be true to myself and to you and fuck it if that doesn't please you. I'm at an age where my soul and happiness means the world to me. At this moment I have a teenage son who will let me sit on his bed with him as he plays video games with his friends and tell me who he is playing with and will put in layman's terms what is going on. I have a daughter who will be going to college next year who is figuring out who she is striving to be. I have an ex-husband who I can be honest with and he is honest and fair to me. Best, I have a beautiful man who is full on asleep on my couch with 2 little Yorkies cuddling him until I decide it's time for us to go to bed. Right now my soul is happy and tomorrow begins my new life. Cheers. *Unedited and Un-reread and I'm sticking to it. |
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
| I realize now it has been almost a year since I have posted in this ancient blog. Seeing the stats and realizing people are still seeing it is amazing. In fact, when you google Art by Shano, my blog comes up first. Embarrassing. I want my art to come up first naturally, not for people googling me to see what I was saying and feeling YEARS ago. So, let me proceed. I went through a divorce in 2010? (It was drawn out separation. Whatever) It was the emotionally most crippling thing that has ever happened to me. Just in case you're wondering if you should get a divorce and are kinda on the fence and also have kids, and just "aren't happy" . . . Don't do it. Boredom will pass. That excitement you want to feel with your spouse and just isn't there- make it fucking happen. You two are best friends and still have active dialog? Suck it up Buttercup. Marriage gets fucking boring and that's the best thing that can happen to you. I promise. Want excitement? Talk to your single friends or have a girls night out. I did. It was awesome and I still had an amazing husband. My ex-husband will always be the love of my life. My current boyfriend of more than 2 years knows this and is not threatened by this, but accepts it as it is. I've moved on from my ex-husband 100%. It really, really didn't work no matter how hard we tried, and we tried SO very hard for 18 years. Marriage counseling for most of this time . . . the whole nine yards. You can't fix broken. So during our separation I was a complete blob of jelly that did the menial of tasks. I woke up in the middle of the night with anxiety attacks and my chest in a fist of rage with fear of the unknown. I am a person that HATES change and loves making a little happy nest I call home. Sleep has always been my medic, my time to go to my Happy Place where wonderful things happened in wonderful places. I have always loved sleeping SO much because my dreams were just as real and memorable as my real life, only I simply "visited" there. Even before John and I married, our friends made fun of how much we slept and our love of sleeping in. I suppose that 2 artists living under the same roof would have the same habits. We slept as much as we loved. Artists are . . . unique. It takes a lot of patience with an artist. I am impatient and demanding and definitely fit under every stereotype of feminine. I love animals to the point where I have to cut myself off, even though I should have done it by half the animals on my ranch now. I am outgoing, friendly, controlling and emotional but stable, yet hard to get to know on a personal level. I used to have a few best friends, but since the divorce I lost them all which is so hard for me because I'm a girl's girl. They always say in a divorce, "the people you think will be there for you won't be, and the people you least expect will". Sadly fucking true. Although I have been burned, I love, love, love people in general and am so intrigued with everyone that I meet. And I know that the girls that were best friend with me in my previous life will ALWAYS be my girls. If ever needed, I would in no way hesitate to knock on the doors of Becky, Liz, Erin, Jen, Deb & Bekka, and especially Ramona and know that I would be greeted with nothing but love. You guys will always hold a special place in my heart and I love you dearly. So on with the new! I keeping true to my midnight rule that I cannot post after midnight. And to reflect back at my 18 year old self and having a 1 o'clock curfew, yeah. Shit gets real after midnight. Bad decisions are after midnight's bitch. Part 2 SOONish. (But I'm good. That's why I wanted you to see this.) There is a happy ending . . . So far. Life is a motherfucking beautiful journey. Drunk as fuck. Curse you Monday Football and Seahawks (ultimate fan here!) Will edit tomorrow. Peace out mothafuckas. (I'm apparently gansta in my over a certain age drunkness. Da fuq?) No. Now it's just full blown Tourette's syndrome. |
Friday, August 05, 2011
Fashion Illustration Boot Camp
| Fashion Illustration Boot Camp with Shano – Learn the basics of drawing the fashion figure, poses, how clothing drapes around the body, as well as makeup and facial details. Great for anybody interested in creating their own designs, future fashion designers, building your portfolio, or just for fun. Perfect for those ages 13 to 113! Dates: August 8, 9, 10, 11. Time: 11 to 1pm. Four-Day Fashion Illustration Boot Camp Cost: $125 - includes materials. Class sizes are limited- Please reserve your spot today! Classes held at Gallery by the Bay, Stanwood, WA – 360.629.4297 (www.gallerybythebay.com) Instructor is Shano artbyshano@gmail.com (http://www.artbyshano.com/) |
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Once Upon a time . . .
| I had a blog. Oh wait! Here it is! So, now that after many a life's changes (no, not menopause for Christ's sake). I am getting ready to get back into the swing of things and LIVE my life and post to my blog. Baby steps. Purty paintings I conjured up which may or may not reflect my mood:   The Femme Fatale Series. |
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Yeah, there's no way
| I said I was going to blog more, and in my head I had a daily thing going on. Not going to happen. I'm a twitter sorta girl and keep it under 40 characters, Hello ADHD. But wait! I don't only twitter. I Tweetdeck. Which means that my twitters go out to FaceBook, MySpace, and Twitter . . . They could also go out to LinkedIn, but that would just be weird. For me, a blog is like a crack-addict on crack. 40 characters at a time- How, when, and where do I stop? Do I stop? It's almost easier not to start. I'm trying to balance painting, family, horses, dogs (my OTHER job), a social life, run (re-introduction into cardo since my treadmill bit the dust) and trying to find ME time which includes charity work, reading, oh . . . housework. Because God knows how much I ADORE housework ($%&*#*) AND COOKING! LET US NOT FORGET HOW MUCH I LOVE COOKING!! In other words, the plate runneth over. But, that's my personality to overachieve and then to not live up to my own expectations. (FAIL). So hopefully this is a diving board into my life back into the blogging world. I hope so . . . But right now I'm getting ready for the the Mother's Day Tour (FOCUS. FOCUS)  And then on to the Portland show at Benjamin Benjamin's premier in Portland:  1720 NW Lovejoy # 102 Portland, OR 97209. Phone: 503.208.4236 Actually . . . My daughter has been running a fever for 5 days now. I am beside myself with worry. This blog distraction has been nice. Thank you Blogger. |
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
My cPanel
| Beth of ChicGalleria.com Finally inspired me to refind my cPanel (does that just sound dirty, or is it just me?) and see where my stats were coming from. (Okay, yeah. Um. DEFINITELY dirty.) If you ever lose your cPanel info with your hosting info (For you computer savvy people that DON'T have your minds in the gutter), you might as well go looking for the Easter Bunny. My computer(s) have crashed so many times that I had given up all hope, but this time, thanks to Beth I was determined. It's been one of those nagging little things driving me crazy. And I feel badly. All these sites were showing the love, and I turned my unknowing back to them. Starting now. Blogging more. Again. I saw the move "Julie & Julia" (gag). I AM A NEW PERSON. (Yeah. We'll see how that goes.) |
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Holy Crap
| August 6, 2009 was my last post? Where does the time go? What a flippin' slacker! But this time of year is always superDEEduper busy and if you read on, I'll tell you all about it and that I may or may not have a very good excuse for not posting more often. Let's start with if you're in the Fremont area of Seattle. My work can be seen in the Fremont Space until April 30th.  And then on May 7th it's on to the "Blue Ribbon" Show at Benjamin Benjamin in Hood River, OR  Meanwhile, I will have work in the Seagrass Gallery for the Mother's Day tour on Camano Island, WA (natch).  And making me giddy with anticipation is the Special Mother's Day Blend by Dusty Cellars Winery featuring the art of yours truly. 14.4% alcohol yo. And so far, they haven't produced a red that I haven't absolutely LOVED.  Next up . . . The clothing and accessories line. But I'll save that for next week. Want to be in the know, and probably receive a little TMI? Join me on Facebook or Twitter. |
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Sleepyhead
 This would be a sneak peak into the making of this piece entitled "Sleepyhead": I worked with 4 different colors of paint. There was beige, burnt sienna, dark brown, and calypso orange. THIS WAS A FIRST. Typically I work with colors complement each other on the color wheel, or still with those that typically have a good working relationship with each other. But yet I wanted to stick to neutrals. Currently, as in right this moment, there is a full moon and my body is feeling the strong emotional pull of autumn. Soft, quiet, soothing, misty, brooding, mysterious. I enjoy this piece because she is sensually calm. Should you approach, you would feel the heat and passion put into the artwork. When the object d'force is the bed and a half-dressed woman, one must beware the sleepy temptress. She's highly unpredictable in this state of half/sleep. |
Friday, June 26, 2009
WTH
| Where have I been? Here in Western Washington, also known as the Seattle area there is a great phenomenon known as the sun. When it very seldom chooses to show itself, the entire population goes missing from the Internet. I am no exception. It's been sunny. I've been MIA. Also, I have been moving from my static desktop to the portable laptop. I have a new sense of freedom. However, moving important docs, pics, and programs has been far more consuming than ever imagined. Namely forgotten passwords and Vista having a strong distaste for anything vintage. We are getting ready to take a big road trip from WA State to Michigan. This is also quite time consuming. Today was spent researching which class trailer hitch I have on my vehicle, adjustable ball hitches (hee), tongue weights (hee), and round bar weight distributors, also known as sway bars. Sadly, I now know what all this means. Makes me almost want to be a dude and grow a pair. Okay. Not really. In actuality it makes me want to run to my shoe pile and jewelry collection and hug and kiss each and every one and give them names which end in a "y". I have been riding my horses a lot more. In fact, I am covered in a protective layer of horse dirt. I really want to wash it off. There's really nothing magical about it. I haven't been painting so much because I am a bit distracted with the sun, our trip, and purty horses and the such. Oh, and two litters of puppies within weeks of each other really takes up a LOT of time. But if you want to see my latest originals and more artwork it can be seen here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=99376 and here: http://shano-studio.com/originalart.html And exciting news! My art will be on the cover of the not yet released album: Cathryn Beeks Ordeal! I'm going to have to call it a night now. Sweet dreams! PS Speaking of which- I purchased Jewel's new Lullaby album which, I know. To each their own, but I am thinking that this is the prettiest music next to Enya that I have EVER heard. |
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Quick Update!
| Mother's Day Tour - Camano Island Will you be attending the annual Mother's Day Studio Tour on Camano Island this weekend? If so, be sure to stop by Seagrass Gallery (http://seagrassgallery.com/) to view original art and prints by Shano. Next stop- Wine tasting at Dusty Cellars Winery (http://www.dustycellars.net/) where you can purchase prints and limited edition signed flasks featuring Shano's newest images. *Some of which are not yet available in print!  Art Collectors? Just a head's up! There are still a few Original Artwork Pieces Left! Cleaning out the studio and over HALF the original art MUST GO! Huge paintings, small paintings, and everything in between- All one of a kind and priced starting as low as $100!  To view ALL the art click here: http://shano-studio.com/originalart.html To view the art on SALE click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=99376 (click on the original art category) Keep up to date with Shano via social networking: http://www.shano-studio.com http://www.artbyshano.etsy.com http://www.myspace.com/artbyshano http://twitter.com/artbyshano http://www.linkedin.com/in/artbyshano |
Monday, April 20, 2009
Forbearance
| Last night I finished another painting in the Forbearance series. Why I decided to do something so large (18" x 24") in red is beyond me. One thing that digital cameras hate is red and purple, and this little doozy was far too large to scan. So therefore, hours were spent adjusting color, contrast, saturation, and exposure. Oy vey. Here's the finished product:  Here's the trauma I endured:  Those smaller prints are artist's proofs. Want to know how much I spent on archival papers and inks? Yeah. I don't either. Wanna know what else I had to endure this weekend? A bunch of crap movies. How often do I watch movies? Rarely. VERY rarely do I dedicate 2 hours at a time of sitting, and 4 hours of my weekend were wasted on brain melting stupidness that I'll never get back. Okay, yeah. The stupidness will come back to me in gobfuls, but I won't be sitting for it that long. I can almost guarantee it will be random, and it will involve public humiliation. So first runner up in dumb movies du jour was the remake of Amityville Horror (although I fully appreciated Ryan Reynolds soaking wet and flexing his muscles.) All is not lost if you simply save your time and do a google search on screen shots of Ryan in the rain. Winner of the Raspberry Awards was "Death at a Funeral". I think it was supposed to be funny. It wasn't. Trust me. I don't think I felt a flicker of amusement. My lips were never inclined to head North. Not even a smirk. Grimace, oh yeah. There was a poop of the face scene. That's the closest I came to smiling. Ending it on a happy note is Ryan san shirt. He isn't wet here, but sweaty, angry, and wielding an ax. And that's hawt.  |
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter 2009
| Wake up View Show and Tell of what the Easter Bunny brought Call out of state family Do barn chores Pick up Easter "grass" Eat breakfast Drink coffee Pick up Easter "grass" Do yoga Take shower Pick up Easter "grass" Cook Easter dinner Pass out "Honey Do List" Clean house Pick up Easter "grass" Drink wine Entertain and feed guests Clean up Pick up Easter "grass" Make "To Go" plates Worm puppies and give vaccinations Say goodbye to guests Pick up Easter "grass" Worm horses Wait for horses to dry from the rain Put the horse blankets back on. Pick up Easter "grass" It's now 6:30 pm PST. Time to digest mass quantities of ham and potatoes. *yawn* |
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Don't want to jinx it but . . .
| House is clean Barn is tidy Yard is acceptable Orders have been sent Updated the Original Art Page Studio is organized Family is healthy Friends are well Dogs are brushed Animals are fed Bills are paid Food in the cupboards Laundry is going Dishes are being washed Life is good. PS A special rhanks Tarah for posting about my art to the Seattle PI blog! http://blog.seattlepi.com/urbanfashionnetwork. SWEET. |
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
HUGE Art by Shano SALE
 ORIGINAL ART MUST GO to make room for the new! Cleaning out the studio and over HALF the original art MUST GO! Huge paintings, small paintings, and everything in between- All one of a kind and priced starting as low as $60! To view ALL the art click here: http://shano-studio.com/originalart.html To view the art on SALE click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=99376 (click on the original art category) NEW Website The website is currently under construction, but still enabled and fully functional. To see the direction in which the http://www.shano-studio.com website is going, please take a peek. Now categorized are the Top 75 selling prints, plus all the other top selling prints. You would think it would be easy to narrow it down to 75, but not at all! Simply click on Purchase and then Limited and Open Edition Prints. Keep up to date with Shano via social networking: http://www.shano-studio.com http://www.artbyshano.etsy.com http://www.myspace.com/artbyshano http://artbyshano.blogspot.com/ http://twitter.com/artbyshano http://www.linkedin.com/in/artbyshano |
Monday, April 06, 2009
Stoopid is as stoopid does
| WARNING before you read. If you read my blog, you know that I don't waste my time worrying about fragmented or run-on sentences, prepositions, improper grammar, or verb tenses staying in one format, or any of that other crap that I had to actually think about when writing a term paper. If I did bother myself with such annoyances, I would never have anything to say. But rest assured, the spell check has been hit. So what if the occasional word is missing? Fill in the blanks. Your guess is as good as mine as to what I was trying to say in the first place. Point is, I was once educated, but partied too hard to retain any of the knowledge and now I'm just too tired and lazy to be bothered. It seems that most artists post FAR more frequently than me. And although I have a lot to say, I don't always have the time to say it, or can configure any of my many random thoughts I have at any given moment in to a coherent sentence. But I'm gonna try even if it means Twitter status blogging. And I'm going to start by blogging about nothing in regard to artwork. Why? Because I'm compiling all my existing pieces together to list for sale on Etsy or Artfire or even eBay. And because I am so completely overwhelmed by it all, I'm going to have to deal with it another time. Probably not tomorrow, but maybe Wednesday and that will be like a TON of bricks released from my chest. So, get ready because the sale amount that I sell them for is not as important is GETTING them out of my studio. Not because I don't like the paintings or they aren't worthy, but because I'm not letting myself create new paintings until I sell what I have, and that is VR VR hard. Imagine a brain artistically imploding. And now that I have a CLEAN art studio with electricity and lights, I'm absolutely Jones'ing to get in there! So .. . On Twitter the other day I wrote a one-liner stating that I have stupid goats. Surprisingly, I received a ton of hate letters because of it. To goat-lovers: I have stupid horses some days. Stupid dogs other days. My chickens (rather John's chickens) are ALWAYS stupid. God knows, I'm the first to admit that I have stupid days. Where are the emails stating that I'm misunderstood and not stupid?! Stupid is a great adjective and noun. IMO, everybody, goat, human, or the like, is stupid some days, in some ways. Want to know how many times I followed a stupid human driving a vehicle that probably had an IQ of 150? Get over it. You are stupid to waste your time and typing fingers telling me goats are not stupid. Hey- I'm stupid for spending the time typing this to tell you that goats and other life forms can be stupid. It's all hella stupid. On another note, I gotta go veg and be stupid because it's late and that's the only way I can get to sleep at night. I bet my goats are sleeping well though. Definition: not intelligent; irresponsible Synonyms: brainless, dazed, deficient, dense, dim, doltish, dopey*, dull, dumb, dummy*, foolish, futile, gullible, half-baked*, half-witted*, idiotic, ill-advised, imbecilic, inane, indiscreet, insensate, irrelevant, laughable, loser*, ludicrous, meaningless, mindless, moronic, naive, nonsensical, obtuse, out to lunch, pointless, puerile, rash, senseless, shortsighted, simple, simpleminded, slow, sluggish, stolid, stupefied, thick, thick-headed, trivial, unintelligent, unthinking, witless Notes: stupid refers to lack of ability while ignorant refers to lack of knowledge |
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Safe Horses Charity Event
 "Wild Mares" Original Art painting for auction Save A Forgotten Equine presents... HeART of the Horse, an Art Show & Auction to benefit Equine Rescue http://www.safehorses.org/ Sunday, April 5th, 2009 exhibit 2-7pm ~ silent auction 4-6pm Abbey Ballroom 1902 South Fawcett Street Tacoma WA 98003 Hors d'oeurves will be served and beer & wine will be available for purchase Come support local artists & photograhpers for an afternoon of Art, Photography, Music, Food and FUNd-Raising to benefit Save A Forgotten Equine (S.A.F.E.) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=46891659725 |
Monday, March 23, 2009
Unclad Art Show 2009
Patron's Party http://www.uncladart.com/- Opening Night Gala (Click on photos to enlarge) From left to right: Gayle Picken (Art Show Curator and owner of Gallery by the Bay - (http://www.gallerybythebay.com/), Jamie, Jack Gunter (http://www.jackgunterart.com/), Teri, Tom Jensen (http://www.tomjensenart.com/), Alison.  Teri, Alison, myself, Jamie - I'm showing off the "red dot" on the mermaid painting, Fluidity. Yay!  Jack Gunter (http://www.jackgunterart.com/), myself, Tom Jensen (http://www.tomjensenart.com/)  Shannon Kirby (http://www.shannonkirbyart.com/), myself, Liana Bennett (http://www.lianabennett.com/)  Coylinda purchased my purse to give to her daughter. Her husband in the background is artist John Vistaunet (http://www.vistaunet.com/)  Me and Jack Gunter. I love this photo because I have no recollection of what is going on or what is being said but the body language cracks me up.  Afterwards at Amigo's Restaurant with the girls (and apparently the restaurant owner?) |
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Heaven & Hell
| Today's Heaven: An hour nap on Sunday A windstorm with windchimes Netflix Telephone calls from all your favorite girlfriends Horses running The ability to run on the treadmill A new and improved ass from running on the treadmill (which really doesn't say a whole lot) Wallflowers from Bath and Body Works Gas prices A full bottle of wine Memory foam mattress Watching and Interacting with kids during an episode of Survivor Orders packaged and ready to go A clean house An hour long pedicure Dogs that come when you call them Crocuses Sunday's Hell: 2 week old puppy smells inside the house under-achievement/Over-achievement (always) Fat pics Back porch junkyard Mentioning how awesome somebody is only to have them completely suck the next day Tax deadline Plethora of drama (wtf?) stomach ache Belly fat Laundry Having to wake early Good outweighs the bad. Good vs. Evil. Glass is half full. |
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Too much of nothing
| Some days, okay most days, I want to do everything. I become so engrossed in everything that I do nothing. For example I just signed up to DIGG. Right now I really have no idea what that means other than I like a story or article. Same with StumbleUpon. I like it, I told somebody out there that I like it. Who I am telling this to, or sharing with is really unknown to me. Of course I could read the FAQ's, but I get spun around. I have a good sense of direction, but my ADD rears it's ugly head and I find I'm learning only bits and pieces of a whole. So I spend time exploring these technology vortexes in hopes that someday I'll know exactly what I'm doing while actually DOING it. It is a series of tangly spider webs with too many directions to venture off in, and inevitably I choose the wrong path further sidetracking me from what I was doing. Information Highway? No. It's downtown LA in rush hour with a 5 car pile up. The Internet is so vast with knowledge that honestly my brain can't handle it. I want to learn PhotoShop and do all the things that the kewl kids are doing. Did you know you can take free tutorials on YouTube? You can pay a monthly fee to learn just about anything at http://www.lynda.com/ (It took me 10 minutes to remember the name of this site thus adding further frustration in my quest for knowledge.) Right now I am still trying to figure out shipping on my shopping cart and I am completely over-thinking the tables and scales mixed with *GASP* International shipping to boot. My brain is swimming. Don't even get me started on marketing, small business, and being a WAHM, as well as an artist. Just the information sites pointing to other information sites completely overwhelm me. The Internet is crack. Why can't I quit you? |
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Oh, how ironic!
| So yesterday I posted my "25 Random things" and quite honestly most of my Chatty Cathy girlfriends haven't responded and I'm assuming it is because of my #22. 22. It's retarded to refer to yourself as a MILF. Let other people decide that. So I am reading book number 4 of Megan McCafferty's series titled Fourth Comings. I absolutely was enthralled by her first two books. Number three was a little emo and whiny, and not nearly enough hot sex, but it goes with the age of the character of the time. Nonetheless, book number 4 so far is right on track. I truly appreciate the numerous references to pop culture. Megan even goes as far to refer to Dooce whom I have been quasi-following back when Heather had maybe 3 to 10 comments a day. However, being a lurker doesn't gain me any status or popularity in the Dooce world. So, I just read page 111 (Page 109 had me CRACKING up. I mean, ROFL at her snark comment. Buy the book. Only you MUST start with Sloppy Firsts.) So thank you Megan for your witty and snarky pop culture observances. I am right on board. From page 109 that had me belly laughing- As spoken from Jessica, the main character: "She was still dead serious. This reveals an elemental cause of all our miscommunications. I am fluent in snark. Bethany only notices snark when snarks grabs her off the sidewalk, throws her in the back of a sketchy van with tinted windows, drives to the middle of the Meadowlands in the dead of night, and uses a heavy blunt instrument to smack her repeadly about the head as it screams, "I'M SNARK. DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME? I'M SNARKY SNARKY SNARK!" And even then she's like, "Ohhhhh? Snark? Is that you?" From page 111: "I couldn't expect someone like my sister to understand why the DONUT HO' promotion was just another pathetic example of "feminism" gone wrong. She has soared, swooped, and glided through life on the gilded wings of her golden good looks. I mean, it's one thing to be a MILF and have other people refer to you as such in private. "Now there's a mom I'd like to fuck." But it is quite another to unapologetically and unironically refer to yourself and your circle of friends as MILFs, as my sister and her friends do." This is why I read so much. Way better than the boob tube, ya'll. |
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I was tagged for "25 Things"
| 1. I love the smell of horses, cinnamon and clove, my husband, and Narsico Rodriguez perfume. 2. I wear make up and fix my hair every day regardless if I leave the house. 3. I collect colorful goblets from the 70's and use them as our every day drinking glasses. If you see one at a thrift store, pick one up for me. 4. Listening to other people chew drives me batshit crazy. 5. Pretentious people are the WORST. 6. I must drink coffee every morning. 7. A microbrew with a tiny bit of bloody mary mix is the best drink EVER. 8. No wait, red wine is the best drink EVER. 9. I am obsessed with horses and my weight. Not necessarily in that order. 10. I am extraordinarily blessed for my family. 11. I love getting dressed up and wearing heels. 12. Nothing makes my eyes happier than sparkly jewelry or a cute handbag. 13. I always drive 5 mph over the speed limit. 14. An untidy house can cause me to go mentally insane. 15. I dislike cooking immensely. Loathe it really. 16. My hair won't grow but at least it hasn't gone gray yet *knock on wood* 17. I rarely get cold. My daughter is the same way. 18. I am a chronic insomniac and live like a vampire. 19. I read at least a couple books a week. 20. I like my handwriting cuz it's spazzy like me. 21. I have self-diagnosed myself with Adult Onset ADD. 22. It's retarded to refer to yourself as a MILF. Let other people decide that. 23. Race, age, political, or religious beliefs do not matter to me. If I like you, I like you. Just don't try to change me. 24. I swear like a trucker when my kids aren't around. 25. I really dig reality TV |
