I took a life drawing class in Sacramento last weekend, and enjoyed the experience. I had not worked in charcoal in several years. It took a while to get back into it. There were two very experienced models. We started out with five minute poses, which we erased, then went on to twenty minute poses. These are all twenty minute poses.
Today is the first time l’ve joined a Craft Fair in Vacaville and realize people don’t buy fine art or even cards at an event like this. I am amazed what people do buy, mostly things i would not think to buy. They buy Sensy from the booth on one side, walk by and say “pretty” then buy a net wreath or fake flower arrangement at the next booth.
Okay, I take that back, I just sold five cards It will be interesting to see if I even cover my entry fee! I know intellectually you have to get your art out somehow, but not sure this is the venue. The lady selling cat toys gets a lot more interest than my art!
If nothing else, it is interesting to see this cross-section of Vacaville! And an interesting experiment that I will most likely not repeat! Its for a good cause, but hard in a new town to figure out where to sell your art?
Life brings you joy, happiness, challenges, changes and a long list of other things. This last year I sold my beach house, got a divorce and could only afford a small older cottage. It is amazing how well we all can adopt.
So begins a new story in my life in a small waterfront town in Washington half a year, and in California the other half. The little house has literally nothing in the yard, but brush that people left for years under the trees. My gardener from my last house took out two full dump trucks full of yard waste and etc. I have spent a lot of time putting down beauty bark, and will slowly plant the garden. (not today) Friends have been generous with gleanings from their gardens, so I know in the long run it will be lovely and carefree! (In appearance, not maintenance)
The entire little house has been painted the brightest white available, and I would love to replace doors, trim and cabinets, but that is not in the budget at the moment. I cheated on the drawing, as the house is actually yellow, not my favorite color! So hopefully next summer we can paint it a nice dark gray.
Every day is a new and mostly fun challenge. Today I discovered who ever lived here waxed the ceramic tile floor. It was already kind of an ugly light pink, but it never looked clean. Today Clorox and a brush on my knees, and a metal scraper, helped it look a tiny bit better.
I serendipitously came to see my first love from college again about a year ago. His late wife was a sorority sister, a beautiful and smart woman whose Celebration of Life I attended. It was wonderful to see they had a wonderful life together. I guess I had always wondered how his life had gone. It was a beautiful celebration and I was so happy to know he had a good life and two wonderful children. It was amazing to reconnect with so many of my AX sorority sisters from fifty years ago.
Over time Reed & I talked and discovered, both being widowed there was still some magic in life. We are having a amazing time getting to know each other in our seventies. You never know what will happen in life.
With the wildfires and COVET 19 life is not simple for anyone. The air quality was so bad in Washington when I wrote this, I was not sure if it is even a good idea to go to my garage to paint. We are having strange times. I feel lucky to be sharing it with someone so positive, loving and laughing.
Today while listening to classes on real estate I decided it was a good time to sketch while listening. Multi-tasking and now I need to add color and come up with a By Line. Anyone have any ideas? Here are some I was thinking about:
Thinking about making a move?
Ready for a change of scenery?
Where do you want to be at this point in your life?
Don’t think I need to to exert this much energy to move? What is your idea?
Think of me when you think of Real Estate. Join me on one of my Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/dianakingsley1
https://www.facebook.com/D-zine
https://www.facebook.com/kingstoncovestudio
Sometimes we just have to start over. When going back into real estate a few months ago, I joined a “team” where I thought I would comfortable. I thought I would be just selling homes and strictly working with buyers. I love all of it, but working with people is the best part of real estate. You get to meet people from all walks of life.
I am a happy, but calm person and loud explanations just don’t resonate well with me. I discovered that discussions in this manner no longer worked in my life, so I have taken off the hat of a team, pictured above and moved on to do my own thing in my own happy and calm manner.
The umbrella is gone and I am going to have a great time “out in the rain” growing my real estate and interior design business. Hopefully people will understand and appreciate the benefits that come from working with not only an experienced real estate broker with high ethical standards, but with a professionally experienced interior designer.
Having designed and built four homes for myself and as spec homes, I understand the process of building and construction. Having designed those homes from the ground up I know what it takes to make a space work. Teaching for eight years at The Art Institute of Seattle helped me learn how to share knowledge with other people. Publishing a book taught me organizational skills beyond the norm. (Please check out “Drafting for Interior Design” at Amazon and many other sources.) Working with clients the first thing I always remember is listen to what they want, not what I want.
Not only as an interior designer, but as an artist the proper use of color fascinates me and would love to help my clients work beyond the colors you see in so many homes to one that sings to them.
So here I go and here is the first post card I will be sending out to anyone and everyone I can think of. Please send your address to me at kingstoncove.studio@gmail.com if you would like to be on my mailing list.
Cheers to new beginnings!
And by the way every client buying or selling a property with me will receive a original hand drawn for you from your favorite angle of your new or old home so you have it for loving memories. Here is one I recently sent to Australia.
How many Hair Salons have a Chicken Coup, a School House from the 1800’s and nice modern salon built on the property. Don Edward’s in Kingston is Gene Juarez trained and actually listens to what you say. Pretty remarkable combination.
Out and about buying fabric to make Easter Dresses for my three Granddaughters, with camera in hand, Port Gamble is such a lovely piece of our local history. Originally built as a sawmill town, there are rows of houses built for employees and managers of the Port. the Walker Ames House, which I drew last week was the owners original home.
In the next week or so, I will be drawing the General Store, owned by friends of mine with some of the best food in the area. The fabric store Quilted Strait is often one of my favorite stops, as they have a lovely and varied selection of cotton, more designed for quilts, but work great for “Granddaughter” dresses.
Living in the Pacific Northwest we are surrounded with not only beauty, like taking a ferry ride at sunrise or sunset, but we have the fun of a wide variety of cultures. In Kitsap County we have Poulsbo, our local Norwegian Village with lots of fun shops and now lots of great restaurants. My last post featured the “famous” Poulsbo Telephone booth and today I added one of the Washington ferries and the clock from downtown Poulsbo. Tell me your favorite tourist spot in the PNW and I would be happy to draw it for you.
Poulsbo, Washington is such a lovely little city with lots of wonderful restaurants and shops. I often take guests there to shop a little, eat a little and wine a little. One of the fun places is our local “Hare & Hounds Public House, where you can get great food and in the summer sit out on lawn and enjoy Poulsbo like a tourist. In the next few weeks, I will be adding more Poulsbo attractions to my blog. I live it Kingston and love it there too, and will be SO glad when Kingston has as much to offer as Poulsbo or Bainbridge Island. Stay tuned for more drawings.
Sometimes it is fun to show the photograph that prompted the drawing. In this case there needed to be a bit of editing to make it a little more interesting or hopefully so at least. Maybe a person actually using the booth (if it is operational) would have been more fun. When I was teaching at The Art Institute of Seattle, I often asked my students how many of them had ever used a “Telephone Booth” and unless the student was over 50, they really did not have the concept of what they were or how to use them.
When I was working my way through college in sales, I had to use telephone booths (often in not so wonderful neighborhoods) and a map, not a map book, but a map to try to find the homes of my clients. This part, the gps/cell phone part of life I believe is much improved. The not talk to the person standing next to you and texting them, not so much.
