Thursday, May 01, 2008
The 30-Day Creative Challenge
I took the challenge on another forum and had a great time doing it, so I'm presenting the challenge to my readers. Here goes: For the next 30 days, do something creative at least once a day. You could draw, paint, make crafts, write a poem, sew a shirt or whatever it is you enjoy doing or will dare yourself to try. Have a mantra to motivate you throughout the challenge, such as, "Art is my life," or "I am so creative I can hardly stand it!" If you miss a day of creating something, you have to add a day to your challenge. In my case, my challenge ended up being 35 days long. So, go for it! Post your activities here by commenting under this blog entry. I can't wait to see who will take the challenge and what will be created as a result. I'll be waiting... :-)
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Discovering Josef Albers
During a 30-day creative challenge, which I will blog about at a later time, I stepped up my game on abstract art and played around with shapes, colors and patterns. One of the digital paintings I created during this time is called "Shades of Gray":
What I had in mind at the time was an infinite reflection of two mirrors facing each other, but I had no idea that a German-American abstract artist, Josef Albers (1888-1976), was known for creating art with layers of squares and rectangles. I heard about Albers' work while I was watching television, so I was compelled to look him up. Go here for a list of Web sites where you can look at or purchase reproductions of his work.
I was unsure about the quality of my digital painting until I discovered Albers. Not only does this make me more confident in what I create, but it makes me want to brush up on my art history.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Got a Mention in the Spring Arts Preview
Every year, the Jackson Free Press does a Spring Arts Preview issue promoting artists, exhibits, performances, etc. I was mentioned in the "Artists" article, and here's the entry:
Latasha Willis, a local artist and Jackson native, has spent the last three years creating graphic designs for T-shirts, posters and other items sold at her Reason to Live store on http://www.zazzle.com. Her most recent work includes nature photos, with which she created a 12-month calendar. Go to her Web site at http://www.zazzle.com/reasontolive*, or her blogs at http://afrobohemianchick.blogspot.com or http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/willis.php.
Yay, me! :-)
Monday, February 04, 2008
A blogger found my poem!
I am so excited!
My poem, "Nappy-Headed", was posted on a blog by Blogger member StephClan. Here it is:
I came to this world with nappy hair
And when I was too young to really care
I loved to twirl each curl in my hand
And appreciate the texture of every strand.
But when I got older I was told
That the straightest hair was just like gold.
My hair got ironed with a metal comb
And the smell of burning grease made me moan.
I got a relaxer to run from the smoke,
But the pain of my overcooked scalp was no joke.
I even tried a Jheri curl to give myself a break
But being a target of jokes made my heart ache.
Oh, the day I turned my back on chemicals and heat,
I felt so free - oh, what a treat!
I trimmed off what was left of the damaged mess
And saw in the mirror what I thought was success.
But society said I had lost my mind
And that I would run back to tradition in time.
I got the strangest looks everywhere
And even loved ones frowned at my nappy hair.
I can't get a black brother to take me out for a meal
Since my hair lacks European appeal.
But when I look at my origin,
The continent of Africa, where my ancestors had been
And the beauty of the people who live there,
I saw nothing wrong with my nappy hair.
God gave me this hair
So I should not be ashamed
It is part of who I am
Ain't nothin' wrong with it, I exclaimed.
So I will wear my Afro, my twists and my coils!
I will not allow my confidence to be soiled.
Even if my hair is locked and dreaded,
I am proud of being nappy-headed.
StephClan's blog, African Descent Hair, is a chronicle of her natural hair journey. I've added her to my blogroll to show my appreciation. Go there and see some of the pictures of her hair, which looks very strong and healthy.
You can go to my AuthorsDen page and read the rest of my poems.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Bitten by the shutterbug
Since I bought my little digital camera this past summer, I've discovered something about myself: I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY! I mean, I always liked pretty pictures, but I never thought I would enjoy taking them so much.
I should have known, though. Throughout my life, I would look at a sunset or a tree or a flower and say to myself, "Wow, I wish I had a camera right now to capture this." I guess I never got into it before because I hated the thought of taking a picture and not being able to tell if it turned out right until I got the film developed. Now, since I get instant gratification with the digital camera, I can retake shots all I want, and I can upload and share my work right away.
These are two of the pictures I have taken that I think turned out very well. I have many more in the Nature section of my Zazzle Web site, which includes my first calendar.
I am hoping to one day have more equipment so I can take even better pictures. First on the list: a tripod.
This blog entry brought to you by:
Friday, January 11, 2008
Anti-war T-shirt
I know war is a necessary evil, but I still hate tt. Anyway, I was readinganother blog and someone mentioned an old saying about war that I forgot about. Because of that, I was inspired to do this:
If you can't read the print well, it says, "What if there were a war, and no one went?" I tried to use a larger image, but for some reason, the text kept disappearing every time I enlarged it. To see a bigger image, just click on the shirt.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Congratulations to Zazzle's Office Humor Contest Winner!
If you don't laugh after seeing this, you should get your funny bone examined.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
"How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog" by Todd Stauffer
Todd Stauffer is the publisher of the Jackson Free Press and has authored and co-authored several technology books, especially on Macs. I have a blog on the Jackson Free Press Web site, so I have known Todd for a couple of years. He gave me an autographed copy of his latest book, which is jam-packed with information that would benefit novice and professional bloggers:
In the book, Todd explains how to create a blog, drive traffic to it, improve the look of it and even how to make a little money from it. Reading the book confirmed some things I was trying already, such as joining affiliate programs and RSS feeds, but I did learn some new things such as what a trackback is. If there were a college course on blogging, this book would make a great textbook. If you are serious about blogging, I suggest you get yourself a copy of Todd's book from Amazon. It's an excellent reference tool.
This blog entry brought to you by:
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Join me at StartupNation
StartupNation is a Web site "by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs." With your free registration, you gain access to an online community of entrepreneurs that you can network with. The site also has advice about:
- starting and running a business
- setting up a Web site
- filing for a patent
and a lot of other goodies. Members also share customer testimonials, and StartupNation even has a top 100 list for successful home-based businesses. Click on the button below to view the profile I created, and while you're there, create a profile of your own. See you there!
This blog entry brought to you by:
Friday, November 16, 2007
Congratulations to the Zazzle Holiday Card Contest winner!
And the winner is...
Congratulations, Paul! Enjoy your $1000 prize!
Friday, October 26, 2007
My Zazzle Greeting Card Contest Entry
I decided to create a Kwanzaa card since I know there will be a lot of Christmas entries.
This card is a template, which means you can add your own photo and text. Hope I win something...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Lisa Overton Robinson
Lisa, a private art instructor, has bachelor's degrees in art and Spanish. In addition, she does Web design and photo restoration. She also hosts an art camp every summer and is a gallery director at Go Creative Arts and Athletics. Go here to see her portfolio.
1st Lite Fine Art Portraits
Dawn Rosenburg, a Mississippi artist, has an impressive portfolio of portraits and retouched photos. Her infant and scenic photos are my personal favorites. Go here to see Dawn's collection and contact her if you would like for her to take some photos.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Should I order my products in bulk and sell them on consignment?
I have thought about doing this for some time, but I wonder how practical it would be to do so. Even though I'd get a bulk discount and a contributor discount, it would still take a lot of money to order enough products to make an impact, especially when it comes to T-shirts.
I was thinking that by selling my products on consignment locally, it would draw customers to my Web site. I would combine this with buying my own products and act as my own billboard, so to speak. For instance, I could buy myself a T-shirt and put my URL somewhere on the shirt, like on the back.
I would love some feedback on this.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ideal products for tweenagers
Products courtesy of Zazzle contributor CustomT_Shirts, whose illustrations would be attractive to the young and the young at heart:
The last shirt was given a Today's Best award by Zazzle on October 20. Congratulations!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
"Just In My Own Little World" poster
This whimsical poster by Zazzle contributor newbpainter would be great for a little boy's bedroom. I wish I could jump into it and hang out for a little while:
Apple of the Eye Studio
Zazzle contributor lemlime's gallery has products made with "Christ-centered photography." Closeups of plants and flowers with vivid hues, landscapes and Bible verses make this collection sing. Examples:
lemlime has a 2008 calendar available for sale, and each month features a photo of a flower and a Bible verse. I suggest that you get one now since 2007 is coming to a close.
Love your work, lemlime! God bless you.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Awesome photography
Nature itself is beautiful, and that beauty is heightened when scenes can be captured on a photograph. One such photographer who does this with excellence is Zazzle contributor photogenic_pics:
Vicky Brago-Mitchell, Fractal Artist
This artist has hundreds of beautifully generated fractal images published on Zazzle (as bragova). Here are some of them:
She also has wallpapers available for download and artwork for sale at these sites:
AllPosters.com
Art.com
artprintcollection.com
Cafepress.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
My T-shirt featured as "Artwork of the Day"
Here's the shirt:
...and here's the link to the blog that featured it.
mykajelina
This Zazzle contributor's vivid artwork features Gothic fairies with an anime vibe. I like these in particular:
The last one was picked by Zazzle as Today's Best on July 23 of this year.
She also sells paintings and cameo pendants on eBay. Go here to see her official Web site, which is an art form in itself.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Digital art by dndartstudio
I'm still getting my feet wet in the world of digital art (mainly since I've only made two paintings so far), so I'm always looking to other artists as sources of inspiration. Well, check out some of the work done by dndartstudio, and you'll see why I'm motivated to make more of my own digital art:
Republished "ocean" digital painting
For some reason, when I published the painting on Zazzle back in August, the painting is only available in a small size. I republished it so that larger sizes are available. You can get it here:
VIDEO: Bob Ross - Why I Don't Paint People
This tribute to Bob Ross captures the essence of who he was as an artist and a person. I enjoyed watching him on TV as a child, and he was one of my artistic influences. And now, here's the clip:
Donna Grayson
Donna Grayson is a Zazzle contributor with three galleries that include nature photographs and abstract art:
DonnaGrayson_Photos's Gallery at Zazzle
DonnaGraysonAbstract's Gallery at Zazzle
DonnaGrayson's Gallery at Zazzle
Her photos and designs have vivid colors that would appeal to many. Here are some examples:
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