Art Update

Well I got the email that I didn't make it into the show in San Diego....What a bummer! I was really disappointed at first, because I had this idea that I was going to take off with my art work with ease. I guess it is a due an artist must pay in order to stick with it. Rejection is part of the game. I am beginning to see that it is all about Marketing yourself and your art. I have put that on hold lately, school seems to be consuming my time. But I must get back to it. I have plenty of subject material to create new works. I must devote at least an hour each day to my artwork, whether it is marketing and promoting or creating. I would rather just create I think most artists would but it is about the marketing as much as the creating.
I would really like to make a trip to Chicago when it is warmer to get some Chicago material. I have a friend in the art world in Chicago and I have been told that Chicagoans love my kind of work.

As I read back over this I have to question why do I create my artwork? Is it to make money? Or is it for the pure joy of making it. I would have to say that it is for the pure joy of making it and showing it to others! I get a big kick out of seeing peoples faces light up when they see my artwork. It is about creating the artwork to bring joy to others. If I get some money out of it great! But I won't quit my day job just yet! ha ha! But what a dream that would be to travel around the country doing custom images and creating new ones from the world around me! WOW!
I HAVE A DREAM......... (can't you just hear that booming voice of Martin Luther King?)

Cool New Software!

I found this cool new software! Sitegrinder2. It allows you to design total websites in Photoshop and create CSS design! It is awesome! Check it out! It has allowed me, who knows how to design and layout in Dreamweaver an even greater flexibility and creativity! The learning curve is very short and I can make websites so much faster than doing it the old fashion way. I had a professor at school turn up her nose at the software when I told her what it could do. Well at one point a lot of people turned up their nose at Illustration software for the computer and now look at where we are with that. What if people has poo pooed the WYSIWYG html editors? This is the future folks! Go check it out! Bad for us web designers in a sense because it allows everyone to be a better web designer, but yet, it is so exciting! And the tutorials and video lessons are extraordinary - and - if you email customer service with a question about how to do something? Within an hour you have a complete answer back. I have not seen such customer service out of a software company for years! It will blow you away, more companies should take lessons from Media Lab software!

My second favorite SuperBowl 2007 Commercial

Thanks to Comcast I can really relate to this commercial! Ha ha! I have Connectile Dysfunction at my home!

My Favorite 2007 SuperBowl Commercial

COLTS VS. BEARS

What an exciting day it is today! The colts - our home state team - play the bears. Now we live right in the middle of both of these teams territories and the city is pretty well divided on who they want to win. You often see signs like "Go Colts - play well Bears!" I am rooting for the colts, they are, after all, our states team, and it would be so cool to have Indiana recognized for something besides Corn and the Indianapolis 500! No offense Indiana but as far as big events go we don't have a lot! You see people walking around with colts jerseys, hats, and one couple had feathers and sparkly things attached to the hats and the whole family looked that way! And that was on Friday! It really is rather fun, and the excitment in the air is palatable! There is an air of anticipation in the city. There are super bowl parties everywhere, there usually is superbowl parties but they seem bigger, more promoted somehow.

We won't be going to any parties, my daugther has been really ill, the whole past week, and the new antibiotic brought with it a new outlook for all of us that she is on the mend. It has been a horrible week of worry for me, as she was so sick. But yesterday she was up most of the day and even helped me bake, and talked to me. She did NOT have mono so that was a good thing, but what she did have we are not sure of. She has yet another doctors appointment on Monday. I am getting sidetracked here.....so we are staying home for the superbowl, which is fine by me. I love the superbowl commercials and it seems like when ever you go to a superbowl party everyone talks during the commercials (usually the best part of the whole show) and you can't catch them. Then I have to find them on the internet and watch them, hoping my connection is stable and doesn't cut out! And this really is going to be an exciting game. I love watching football, especially when it gets to the championships and the superbowl!
So our night will be spent at home. We bought some cold meats and chips and dips and we will have the customary treats for our own private super bowl party. It should be fun! The kids and I will have a ball and the show will be good! Party on Colts Fans!

PS - THE COLTS WON!
WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO! THe colts won! And what a game! Oh my gosh! It was so exciting! Indiana is on the map for something besides cars running around in circles! WHooooo hoooooooo! Do you hear me dancing in the house? Do you hear me shouting? Do you hear me screaming? Do you hear the happiness in my words? WOW! WoW! WOW! Tooo coool!

Red Letter Day - Feb. 2, 2007

The day of Feb. 2, 2007 is a retter letter day for me. I submitted 3 of my art images to a big, juried show out in San Diego. If they are accepted into the show then it will be another big red letter day! But for me, finding the confidence to submit the pictures was a big deal. I finally found a show that my artwork would "fit" into as well. The Museum of Art director said to find a show that your artwork was compliant with to submit. For instance I would not want to submit my kscope images to an oil painting show. This show is aptly called "The Art of Photography" and it is about photography, digital manipulation, and collaged photos. I fit right in! So now I will be facing extreme rejection or sky-high elation! The rejection - oh well - the trick is to not take it personally.

You go over in your head - "did I submit the right images?", "Should I submit more"?
The really cool thing is that the guy that is the judge (I have never heard of him before, but this is a new area I am venturing into) is a big wig and many people request him to look at their work and critique it but he does that rarely because he doesn't have much time, and everyone who submits to the show gets reviewed by him! He is the founding Executive Director of The No Strings Foundation, a non-profit foundation established in 2004 whose mission is to provide direct funding to photographic artists. So it is all very exciting.

I found this show in a magazine called camera arts, and after I registered I went and looked through the participants last year and a well know local photographer was in the show last year, so I feel that it is a good show.

I often feel like my path is being directed. My faith set aside, I see events happening that allows doors to open or directs my attention to certain areas that require me to take action. It is all very exciting, and I know God is the one directing these events, the waters are being stirred it seems and the waves are just starting to ripple! It is all very exciting!

Travel

I think there may be a way for me to go to Italy for a month. It fulfills an art history requirement and I would be able to get some awesome, photos for new Kaleidoscope images! I am praying about it. If it all falls into place I could go to Italy and stay for a month.

I have never been out of the country and have never had the desire to go out of the country - until now. I really want to go to Italy and see all the centuries old buildings, the landscape and the art. We will be 30 miles away from where they filmed the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun".

I am so excited!

Excitement

A local shop wants to put my work up for sale! My art work is taking off! It is so exciting! I have 5 prints framed and ready to hang this week.
I somehow have it in my head that I am going to sell them right away, we will see what the reality of that is, but I am hopeful that they will sell well. It is so exciting!

I would never have dreamed that I would even be selling my artwork 2 years ago. I would just create things and put them away in the attic, I would never let people see what I had created.

Isn't self confidence wonderful? You become confident in yourself and your skills and then everyone else sees the value in your talent too. Confidence is contagious it would seem.

Good News!

The doctor tells me I have a "Renal Mass" well I am sure you can figure out what my first thought was.....but it turns out it was a cyst on my kidney! No big deal and many people have them....whew......all those prayers panned out!

What a relief!

hanging over my head

It is funny how stress can affect me. I am not able to focus, I keep having these horrible thoughts run threw my head. The worst imaginable scenario, that whatever this mass is that they have found could be only the worst, but it could be something insignificant too, a cyst or something. I have had those before, lots of them, but my head keeps going back to the negative. What will I do about the kids if....? What will I do about paying the bills if.....? It is the if's that will kill you! I have to quit worrying about what might be and wait and see what the test on Monday reveals. I must stay on the here and now, but I can't seem to focus on my work, I can't seem to concentrate on anything. I want to sit and mindlessly watch TV or shop or read or play on the computer or do my art work. Should I just give in and go with it? I don't feel well at all anyway. Or..should I keep plugging away focusing as best I can? I play praise music, pray often and get mad at Satan and tell him off a few times a day. My God is healing me and I expect a miracle by Monday! Sigh....it really is a weight none the less, no matter how positive I feel.

Then I have a friend who is going to get demoted or fired as a friend. She has become so negative, she heaps all kinds of negativity on me when I am around her, and I don't need that negativity. I politely listen, and do my best to escape her, but last night she dumped all of her step childrens divorce and fights and cop calling garbage on me and I couldn't get away politely. I think I am going to have to throw polite out the window and be blunt. I hate to do that to someone, but right now I need positive people around me, and I don't need all of her garbage in my life. She is verbally journaling and she won't keep a journal because she is afraid that someone will read it! Well I am not going to be her journal I can NOT be her journal. It is poison to me and my mental well being and possibly my physical well-being. Satan get thee behind me!!!

Friends if you are reading this and I am sure you know who I am talking about please come rescue me when you see me cornered. PLEASE!

bad news

I got bad news from the doctor today, I have to go back in on Monday for another test. This does not sound good, but I am done worrying about something that is not true yet. So until then I am going to have a positive attitude and believe that it is nothing for now. I know something is wrong, but I am not going to listen to the words they said I am going to believe instead that God is taking care of it all and that this is just another thing that He is going to use to show people that God is in control and that He is our healer. I am going to believe that it is a huge kidney stone or something and that it will all work out. Thank you God for hearing my prayers and the prayers of your people - that you are working on my situation.

religion and politics

I have never been very active in politics. I get frustrated with it all, but here is an interesting blog about the Mayoral Candidate Matt Kelty from an indianapolis blogger.

Advance Indiana: Mixing Religion And Politics

Basilica Pictures

Here are the Basilica pictures that I took.

Traveling....

I love to travel and see new things. I have been down to St. Louis on numerous occassions and each time I fall more in love with that city. This past weekend I went to the Dale Chihuly show at the Botanical Gardens. What a fantastic show, Dale Chihuly will never let you down when it comes to one of his shows. Each one is unique and special, he tailors the show to the surruoundings of the area.

I also went to the Basilica in St. Louis. WOW! There are not many words that can describe the awe and beauty of this beautiful place of worship, my pictures don't even begin to do it justice. A must see place. It is a place I would like go back to without a group of people, in order to just sit and take in the reverant beauty of this beautiful house of God. It wasn't just about the beautiful artwork or awesome mosaics, there was a distinct feeling that God would physically show up while you contemplated all He is. Incredible place.

I thought I would share just a very small portion of all of the photos that I took, several thousand in all......very productive trip! I should have many new Kaleidoscope images soon!

more of me....

Well there are a lot more of me with my maiden name....maybe I don't want to change it back....

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 18 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Only one me...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Christmas

Two days until Christmas, typically this is a "down" time for me, my depression swings in and the long dreary days of rain and no sunshine don't help any. This year it has been good - until today. I got a disconnect notice from the gas company. If only they would have waited one more week, I could have paid it with my school money. Who sends out disconnect notices two days before Christmas anyway? sigh....And I have the kids for Christmas eve and Olivia was asking what we were going to have to our "special Christmas Eve" meal. I have 3 pork chops and some baked potatoes, and no money. I know God has come through before and the TV is full of Christmas miracles, you can really believe that they can happen if you try hard enough.

I can dwell on the questions -why can't I find a job? Why can't I find freelance work, why am I poor? What have I done wrong? But when I let my mind go to those questions, the darkness threatens to invade like a fog. I can NOT go there, I have to keep positive, I have to hand it over to God and let him take control. It doesn't mean I shouldn't do my part -like call the Gas company and ask for an extension, but I can't dwell on what I can not control. Not a good time to be alone, how will I do it with the kids gone all next week? I am not sure. The Lord has provided a way to get me down to St. Louis for a long weekend, that will help, but until then the weight of aloneness will be great.

I would really like to see a Christmas miracle right here in my home this weekend.

Finals are over!

Finals are over for this semester. Whooo hoooo! My evenings are my own again,as are the daytimes. Of course that time will be spent building my freelance work and picking up the house. House work as not been a priority in the last two weeks of classes. It is amazing how quickly the children and myself can let the house get messy! Uck! Can't wait to get it straightened up again.

I feel such a relief to be done with classes.

Whirlwind!

all photos are copyright protected ©2006 Lisa McKibben Schwaberow



Life seems to be a whirlwind of late. My artwork has taken on a life of its own, fellow artists and friends are encouraging me in my artwork and there is a lot of enthusiasm for it. The possibilities are endless. The one thing I like about my artwork is it combines my love of my city, photography, computer art, and architecture all into one whole unit. And the beauty of it is the architecture that I love so much can be appreciated in any city, and my love of Chicago can be rolled right into the picture!

Taxes....
Ug! I am not tax brained...my brain has an area - I am certain of this - that locks up, freezes and shuts down when the thought of taxes comes to mind. I want to run far away from this aspect of the whole business. I believe I might have found a way. If you display your work in a gallery then you don't have to pay sales tax, the gallery will take care of that. I must still pay income tax but that I can deal with! Any gallery owners call me!

So as I sit here postponing the 16 page paper I have to write with 16 primary sources and the two finals I must study for, I contemplate the excitement of conquering the biggest sales job of my life - my work, and I easily postpone that work a few minutes longer.....but really I must return to work on that paper. So adieu for now!

So much going on!

There is so much going on in my life right now. I am pursuing my art, or maybe it is pursuing me, doors seem to be opening wide and I feel like I am being pulled along a path, but yet, it is work on my part as well. My Kaleidoscope images are starting to gain recognition! My source of inspiration and an artist that I admire so much, Karen Thompson, (click here for her site) said my work was wonderful! Wow! She liked my work! I was so thrilled, what an honor!
I have had two people say that I should sell my work in the retail market. I am giving that some thought. I feel like I need a plan. I am not sure how I am going to do this! You can see my work at ADOTCO.
Who would think that something that gives me such joy brings joy to others.
I really must thank Rebecca-Justice Schaab, she is the one that kept encouraging me first and telling me that I could do it. The new found confidence I have in myself is a big part of the growth I feel. I must share the poem that started it all for me.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I have this posted on my bedroom wall and I read it often. Life is good.....