Enjoying the View

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

I love every little hair on this dog. That’s a good thing, since her hair is everywhere in my home, my car, and on my clothing.

We recently replaced all of the broken blinds on the ten floor-to-ceiling windows on the south side of the house with curtain panels that can be drawn all the way to the side to reveal our back yard. The animals adore it even more than I do, I think.

Zoe loves gazing out the back window to make sure no neighbors come within sight of our domain. American Eskimo Dogs are like that.

Posted in Animals, photography | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Fool

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

The Fool is the first card in the tarot deck. It usually depicts a young man striding toward a cliff.
This sketch is an idea for my version of the card. The girl, carrying her pack for her journey, strides along a rocky edge, her gaze upward toward her dreams. Her dog is with her, alerting her to danger.

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Why, yes. I am.

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

I didn’t bother to look this up before I drew it. It’s all over the Internet. I’m bummed, but not bummed enough to keep from posting it. After all, even if the concept is not unique, the execution is all mine!

Posted in Art, drawing, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Blue Convertible Dress Converted to Green

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Rebecca Fox

Let’s begin the post with a little disclaimer.  The dress looks great on the dress form, but I think it’s important to see clothing on a real, live, squishy, active human.  I’m not the most photogenic person, especially when I’m trying to photograph myself.  Also, I’m no Brooke Shields (though I have her eyebrows).  I’m pretty good at a lot of stuff but never spent hours posing and smiling in front of a mirror.  I am, however, very happy with my body.  It’s useful (though I wish it were a little bigger so it’d be stronger), doesn’t get sick, doesn’t hurt and didn’t do all the stuff that other middle-aged women said it would when I hit thirty and then forty because I take care of it.  I know men and women in their sixties that are way more sexy than any thirty-year-old and my dad, who takes no prescription meds, reroofed his house when he was seventy-three.  Also, my mom is hot.  I wish you all would get over the age thing.  Forty is way more fabuloso than twenty….There.

Now that that’s over…Here’s my convertible dress. Yup, now it’s green.  I didn’t like the blue so I over-dyed it with chartreuse way back in February.  I finally finished the sewing and engineering a few weeks ago.  I’m relatively pleased with it though I think a person with a fuller figure would have more versatility with it .  The fabric is gorgeous; it’s comfortable; and seems like it offers enough security to avoid malfunctions.

Posted in Clothing, creativity, sewing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Character Study

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

This is a character study for a book I’m working on. There’s another main character, another bird, but this is a start…

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Lossless

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

I was explaining the concept of lossless file formats to somebody the other day, and the word got stuck in my head. Lossless.
It sounds poetic and a little mysterious taken out of context. Its opposite is lossy, which sounds like a word made up by a seventh grader. I wish my memory was lossless.

Posted in Art, drawing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Just a note…

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

I had a terrific time at ArtScene in Rockford, IL this weekend, showing at the North Main Studios.

Meghan Jones Turley (http://www.megsartspot.com/) was our organizer, and the amount of effort she puts into these shows astounds me. Not only is she a great artist, but she is also a fantastic organizer.

In spite of some terrible weather, we had a very good turnout. I attribute this to Meghan’s great publicity work, and to the wonderful artists with whom I showed.

I’m excited to say that seven of my pieces found new homes this weekend! Hooray!

So, this thank you goes out to Meghan, to the ArtScene coordinators, and to my new collectors who have given three birds, one blue man, a mutant dog and cat, a monster, and a dreamy girl a new home.

Salut!

Posted in painting | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How to feel like a celebrity in your own home.

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

Do you ever wonder what it feels like to be a celebrity?

Well, now is your chance to experience the glamour of being stalked by paparazzi without even leaving the safety of your own home, using my PROVEN METHOD!

What you need:

  • Dogs, cats, and/or children
  • A bathroom
  • Ten minutes
  • A book (optional)
  1. Grab your book (optional) and enter the bathroom, making sure that your dogs, cats, and/or children hear you close the door and (preferably) lock it.
  2. Wait. You will either see pet hair or a cat paw under the door within three minutes. If you have children, you will begin to hear plaintive cries of “Mommy…” in under two minutes.
  3. Don’t answer. Ignoring your subjects, much like ignoring ravenous paparazzi, will whip them into a frenzy in about five minutes.
  4. By the time you open the door after ten minutes, you will experience the full celebrity treatment. Knocks on the door, calls to get your attention, and attempts to invade your privacy will have occurred. You’ll feel like Lindsay Lohan!
  5. Rehab is optional.

 

Posted in Humor | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Tea Cozy

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

Sometimes making art is about as exciting as watching paint dry. This is usually when I am literally watching paint dry.
During times like these, it is good to know that I possess the materials and skills necessary to create a tea cozy.

Posted in sewing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wadder!!

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Lisa Yarost

The fabric I bought along with the new pattern yesterday had stretch, and it turns out the pattern called for no stretch. As a result, I took some fabric from my stash to make up the pattern today.

Even after adjusting the pattern for my extra large bust, The darned thing still didn’t fit worth a hoot. WADDER! Do you know what happens to wadders at my house? They get made into something else before the end of the day, partially to prevent total demoralization, and partially to take revenge out on the offending waste of fabric.

Today’s wadder was made into this:

"Reading List Tote," made from "The New Handmade: Simple Sewing for Contemporary Style", by Cassie Barden

This little bag is smaller than what I would normally use, but heck, I think it may make a good lunch bag. It’s fully lined, and after turning the bag right side out I meticulously hand-stitched the opening in the lining closed, just like the instructions said.

Nah. April Fools! I sewed it by machine.

Posted in sewing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments