Puzzle Time

My niece showed me this site during our nice Thanksgiving week together. Too much fun!


Just Click on the puzzle below and have fun solving it!
If this doesn't work here...go to http://www.jigzone.com/

Winter's Garden

Winter's Garden

(9x12 watercolor)

http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/jujuartscardstore

Just a simple collection of Nature's beauty as winter approaches.

I collected these at the artist's workshop I went to last month.

There is Beauty to be found in Winter's Garden!

Baby Steps

On October 12th...my friend and I ran a 5K for Diabetes. A 5K is only a little over 3 miles....but I wasn't able to run it all the way. I had run 3 miles several times before this run. I was so bummed not to have finished by running all the way. However I'm proud to say the two days later I was at it again and was able to do 3 miles on my own. It is now Nov. 2nd...only 4 weeks later and I have just finished running 5 miles this morning (see map below).

It is all about the baby steps

and learning to

leave emotion and negative thoughts at the door.

TIMELINE

6 Years of working out consistently and flexibly with my friend at our pace to build up to...
September 2nd....start "Strive for Five"
October 12th....not completely run a 5 K
November 8th....ran 5.28 miles

So There!

baby steps...Baby Steps...BABY STEPS...BABY STEPS....!

5 MILES...YIPEE!

I have done it!

I officially ran 5 miles this morning! I started at ZERO in September...and now at the beginning of November...I have made 5 miles with out stopping! It took me 65 minutes and I am very proud to announce my time!

Below is the route I took. I've been using a website Dale uses for his bike rides. It is cool you can map your routes and get the mileage.

Hands, Head and Heart

If you use your hands, you're a craftsman.

If you use your head, you're an inventor.

If you use your hands, head and heart,

You're an Artist!

I had fun at my workshop at the Bonsack Gallery in Oakdale, CA.

A Barn Studio/Classroom/Gallery!

A view to remember from inside the barn.

Our day started out with a nice breakfast and coffee in the kitchen.

We then headed off to the barn/studio to work from 9 am - 5 pm.

"Everyday you have to discover something!"

a quote from our teacher,

Debbie Bonsack

Here are the materials I gathered to use in my practice of the techniques we were shown.

This was the beginning...I was playing..doesn't it look like play?

"My Acorn in the Forest"

"Love what you do, and don't expect anything from it!"

Debbie Bonsack

There were 7 students, one person didn't finish to have a critique.

==========================

The second day, my friend and I did a little historical site seeing.

This is the Knights Ferry Covered Bridge on the Stanislaus River.

The Knights Ferry covered bridge that now stands across Stanislaus River was not the first bridge or crossing constructed there.

Originally, the crossing had been a ferry built from an old whaling vessel by Dr. William Knight, and his partner James Vantine in 1848.

The ferry was said to have built to increase the business at their trading post, yet toll charges could run as high as $200 for a signal crossing.

Beautiful Day....

Fantastic Class....

Wonderful History....

Discover Something New!


Hands.....Head.....Heart

Fall and Football

Autumn, Fall

Golden Afternoons & Chilly Mornings

Harvest Fruits of Pumpkins and Apples!

"Victory Song"

Just having fun with making a few ATC's.
The theme for October ATC exchange is....

SONG

"Fight Song"

Fall is Upon Us

Spending a Day at Half Moon Bay with Friends!

Everyone is busy sketching and journaling first....
then we did a little shopping....
finished our quick visit with a picnic lunch at the pumpkin farm!










Happy Fall Season!

Patterns ATC

2008.09.13 patterns color1
Originally uploaded by jujuart

Here is my ATC for September. The theme was Patterns. I wanted to combine the patterns I love of Mary Englebreit and patterns I see in nature.

Drinking from a cup of Morning Glory

2008.09.12 Drinking from a cup of Morning Glory, originally uploaded by jujuart.

Just a fun Sketchbook Entry using my "Morning Glory" mug and a cute bird statue I had.

My Artist's Garden Palette

2008.09 garden pallette, originally uploaded by jujuart.

Just couldn't resist this fun ad from a magazine.

I thought it was so fitting for me!

Art and Exercise

STRIVE FOR FIVE

This is a quick sketchbook entry of what my exercise partner and friend "dreamed" up one night. She is trying to get us into shape to be able to to 5 miles....we hope running 5 miles...but in the end we want it to really be about cardio workouts. So she dreamt up the plan and the name, "Strive for Five: Cardio Blast 5 weeks to 5 miles" and asked if I would work on the other parts of our exercise routine. We have worked out together for about 5ish years now, doing classes, trainers, getting to the gym, dog walking, and just fitting in any exercise we can.

We have kept each other motivated!

It has been great to have someone to work with.

I then "dreamed" up the second half of the workout...I call it

"STRIVE FOR FIVE: COMPLETING THE CIRCLE OF FITNESS"

In an

ideal world

I think you should include in your fitness routine the following things...

Cardio Workouts (3 x week, which she worked out our plan)

Strength Training (2 x week, upper and lower body weight training)

Flexibility/Yoga (daily, a plan of stretching)

Core Strength (daily, a plan of core muscles)

Nutrition 5's (don't forget to think about healthy eating at least 5 min/day)

Meditation 5's (take 5 min/day or up to a total of 35 min/week)

Extra 5's...organizational routines...ideals....attempts...can't hurt to try

How the Heck do you Fit in All In???

Well in our plan we focus on
flexibility, accountability, and variety!

Flexibility....

in that you can pick which days or what times to get your cardio in. Also you don't have to do all the core and yoga at one time, split them up in the day or do your meditation during one of the more relaxing yoga positions. You can plan around your schedule. My friend and I plan to get together at least once a week for some part of this or more if our schedules work out that way.

Accountability...

Having a workout partner keeps us accountable. I check in on her, and visa versa. Inviting to join each other or letting each other know what they did helps to motivate us. At the same time we get to keep up with each other. Never do we make each other feel guilty...it is more about supporting and encouraging each other to just get it done when you can and not to give up. I also put on the second sheet tally boxes so we could check off what you have completed.

I like to check things off?!?

Variety...

Both changing up the activities weekly and new thoughts on nutrition and meditation, we hope to keep it fresh. We are also going to be changing up where and how we do the cardio blast running. Some days a loop, sometimes run walk, change intensity levels, sometimes run the distance and walk back when we have more time or want to chat.

Here is a sample of a "workout" sheet I made up for us for the first week...we can take it with us to the gym or just at home and mark off what we have done, and easily see what we need to do for the day. Each week I was planning on changing up the exercises....so far...we are on week two.

Oh yeah...the "Extra 5's"...

Just an idea I had of having a checklist ?!? to cover your basic routines and add in some much needed clutter/organization quickies to keep us motivated and on top of things.

LIFE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS....SO IS EXERCISE, ART, AND THIS NEW PLAN!

In the HEAT of Summer: Part Two Plein Aire "PLAYING"

Besides taking a class at college, I tried to put my birthday present (a new plien aire easel) to use this summer. These pictures are backwards in time, but I started in late May at Point Pinos in Monterey and the last location is here at home at Vasona Lake. It is my intention to keep working at capturing a painting quickly on location. Vasona Lake


I did two plien aire paintings..in just about 3 hours. ---------------------------------------

Donner Lake

Oil 9"x12"

Yes...the smoke was here too!

We were out in the California Fires for our two weeks of vacation!

And I still painted in "plein aire"...cough...cough

This was after about an hour.

---------------------------------------------------------

Lake Trinity

"Di Ja Voux" Houseboat

Our trip was cut short due to the fires.

"View from SawMill"

Oil 6"x8"

Dale made me a drying rack...last minute...but it worked out great. You can't just let oil paintings sit around a houseboat with 12 people and a dog!
"Di Ja Voux"

Oil 6" x 8"

while Nick was chopping up the waters on a jet ski!

-------------------------------------------------------

Point Pinos Lighthouse

Monterey

After one hour....

The other three little paintings were just playing with what paint I had left on my palette.

SOMETIMES

YOU JUST GOTTA

PLAY!