33:365:2011


It's been a long time (or so it seems) since I just wandered around downtown looking around in nooks and crannies... and so... I thought I would spend a little time this afternoon doing just that. Problem is... we are in the middle of a very cold front... with a whopping temperature of 8 degrees today (and that was mid-afternoon at it's warmest). Plus... we had alot of wind!....

And so... wandering about in the cold took a backseat to a warm cafe with a pot of tea.
BUT... I did get a couple photos of some very cool tags on the way out to the parking lot :)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

31:365:2011


Sometimes you just have to "go with the flow"...

I know... it's sort of a lame saying... but every now and then it rings true.
(as my mother-in-law was oft to say... "even a broken clock is right twice a day").

These past few days have been sort of a blur to me. I had a bad allergy problem a few days ago... took some benadryl for it... and have been in sort of a stuporous state since. If I'm awake... I'm a mess.. sneezing... wheezing... and blurry eyed. Or... I am dead asleep.
But... I think it is all finally working it's way out of my system... and the fever I have tonight is actually a blessing in disguise as I think it is helping to burn off some of the effects of it all.

And so. I am trying to relax... and just let things work their majik.

The photos for today's post... are ones I took in Placitas on the 19th... but re-worked today.
The top one, is a portion of a picture encased in a shrine at the Placitas Cemetery. I love it.
The bottom photo, is of the Sandias as we were heading out towards Placitas on Highway 25 North.
I have been fooling around a little with some texture layers ... which are sandwiched on top the photos to make a new image. In a way... they remind me of the old Polaroid prints where you peel off the top layer to expose the print....
which was always alot of fun :)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

30:365:2011


I am in the process of trying to organize some of my art stuff. It's been a huge mess out there in the studio for about a year now... and it's really getting to me. I am normally a very organized person... but with all the chaos going on this past year... this is one area where things really got out of control.
And so... I am trying to at least organize stuff into groupings... and from there... decide what stays and what goes. It is almost like a treasure hunt ... I am finding all kinds of things that I forgot I had... or made... or was gifted.

The photo for today's post... is of an art piece that I did a few months ago. It was inspired by a class I took with artist Cynthia Cook... and it is made from an Altoids tin that had been laying in the desert for a long time. I embellished it with glass, glitter, and photos from a photo journal essay on the plight of survivors of Katrina... and how some of them are making art from the surviving wreckage.


*photo and art piece by Elaine A. Russell

29:365:2011



Lately, I have been trying to do alot of looking around on-line. Part of it, is because when I am depressed... the last thing I want to do it go out and about. And partly, because there is just SO VERY much awesome goodnesss.... out there in "internet land"... to look at...

Anyway... so I have been trying to uplift myself and get inspired... and I think it is working. Today... after several wonderful hours visiting with our granddaughter and son... BAJ, the daughter, and I... all went out for some fabulous pizza at RED BRICK PIZZA... and got the most fabulous gourmet gluten free pizza ever (kalamata olives, jalapenos, mushrooms, tomatoes, cashews, and garlic)!!!... and then later on tonight... I started to tackle the horrible mess that is my studio.

Now... before you get all proud of me... I was only able to clear off one table... but hey... it's a start. The good news is... I cleared off my jewelry-making table... so hopefully... I now have enough of a cleared space to actually start making some new stuff :)

So... STAY TUNED!... hopefully some goodness will start to come out of this all...


*photo by Elaine A. Russell

28:365:2011


I took this photo while walking around the block tonight... and I really like the way it turned out.
This whole past year, I have done alot of experimentation with my photography... and looking back through my photos... I can see where things have definitely changed direction a bit.

I think this is a good thing... as growth and change can always be good...

And I have been trying really hard to "get things together"...
Honestly... right now everything seems so very overwhelming... but... I appreciate all your kind words and encouragement :)


*photo by Elaine A. Russell

27:365:2011


I have been trying to keep myself occupied... and trying not to give in to the desire to just hide in my bed... (which is so very tempting)...

And so... today the daughter and I went out and about a little here in ABQ... enjoying some coffee... and local made burritos... and all the fun that is ABQ. Along the way, I got some fabulous handmade candles from a local artist... and I got some things listed in my Etsy store (which was sorely neglected last year with all my traveling).

And in the "who knew?!" department... I was told that about half of my photographs in the show back in Coudersport PA have sold... WoOt! It also means... that there are only about 12 photos left... so if you want one... you'd better go and get one!
Remember... ALL proceeds from sales are going to the local Patterson Cancer Care Center there ... so it's going to benefit alot of people as well ...


*photo by Elaine A. Russell

26:365:2011


I'm trying... I really am. But sometimes the words don't come... and you don't know what to say... and it doesn't seem like it is getting any better.

BUT ... in other news... I did get the Jeep cleaned (it had hay in the back that I am allergic to)... I went to Goodwill and found 5 really warm sweaters for my daughter who is painfully thin and perennially cold... and a baby blanket (*organic cotton!) for little Sophia... and a handquilted pillowcase for the bed... and I got some stuff mailed out at the Post Office... so I am forcing myself to continue on and do stuff. Sometimes brute force is the way to go...

And... I worked on some photography :)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

25:365:2011


"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life,
or in the life of another." ~Helen Keller, 1913

I am beyond depressed. It has been ever so slowly sneaking up on me... and sometime during the night... it took over. Knowing that it doesn't really make sense... and that I have no real reason to be so... does not make it any better. I just feel like I am so incredibly undeserving of anything good... but I am trying to do the best that I can at the moment.


*photo by Elaine A. Russell

24:365:2011


These are photos from my bedroom. Some days... it just doesn't pay to get out of bed... and today was one of those days. I am trying to be as positive as possible... and realistically... I know that there is alot of good in the world... and in my life in particular...
BUT... right now... things seem to be a bit of a puzzle...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell


23:365:2011


I am beginning to feel a resurgence... seems like in most all my waking moments I am thinking about/ designing/ working on... art.

I took this photo back in November... and re-discovered it today. Looking at it, and being mindful of it... inspired a whole series of ideas based on circular motifs. WoOt!

Part of focusing on the word "mindfulness" for this year... encourages me to be more observant when I come across scenes such as this. Of being aware of your surroundings... and in this case... allowing the inspiration to hit and bloom.


What inspires you?

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

21:365:2011


Not much sleep... and then there were errands... which involved a visit with a friend (and a present!!! which I adore)... coffee and quiche at a local cafe... then a short wander-about taking photos... then a trip to a fabulous herbary for goodies... a nap at home with my favorite puppy (don't tell the others)... and now movies with the family...

How was your day?



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

20:365:2011


You really can find inspiration anywhere.

I have never been to a CVS pharmacy store... (I know.. silly me), and so it was with a thought to "run in and run back out" for a few things... that I ended up going there tonight.

It's really packed with alot of cool things. Seriously. One of my major "finds" was a very fun, vintage style lap tray that I hope to decoupage... but I digress.

I got a bunch of things... including a small package of old-fashioned plastic toy animals... and headed home. Then... I took a bunch of somewhat silly photos... and decided to play around with a free on-line photo program that I had bookmarked several months ago, and just never got around to checking out.

So... for example... the top photo is of the inside of CVS... sort of my "1st impression" as I walked in the store...

And below... is how it looks pasted onto another photo of a billboard in NYC. This is just one of the cool applications in this on-line program.



Here are some (hopefully) fun and inspirational photos for your enjoyment... photos I took with the plastic farm animals, and then played with in this same program...

Where else can a simple plastic rooster... become a Warhol-esque rooster...



And a simple photo of a steer...

...becomes museum art....

...or pop art...


Check it out! ...the PHOTOFUNIA program is here...

19:365:2011


Artist dates are a wonderful thing.
Today, my daughter... a friend... and I went on another artist excursion in and around Old Placitas.

And over the course of the time there... we saw gorgeous mountain views... and tracks in the dirt of "wild things"... We put out some fresh hay for the wild horses that run around there (just to help them thru the winter a bit)... and explored a very old cemetery (dates back to the 1860's)...
We also had some fabulous food at a local restaurant... and drooled over lots of interesting art magazines for ideas...

The end of the "date" came all too quickly... and yet, that glorious moon was beckoning to us all; a night of sweet dreams...


...And of course... I took some photos...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

18:365:2011


...thanks to a huge dosing of Benadryl (which I had to take because of an allergy attack last night)... I managed to sleep in a drug-induced stupor until 5pm this afternoon.

And so ... I have managed to get behind... again. When my sister was alive... we used to call each other on the phone and say stuff like "my bed is made... what else is there to do..."...sort of an "in-joke" between us... but basically saying... that if we had gotten our beds made for the day... well then.... we were one-up on the day so to speak.

I miss her. While Kathy and I didn't have an awful lot in common... ((personality-wise... we were probably opposites))... She was a a wonderful sounding board for me... and I hope I was to her as well. I would have loved to be able to talk to her about this...

About a week ago... my son and his wife separated. They are considering divorce. They got married just last April, and their wonderful daughter was born late October. It is a difficult thing... and I am trying to only think good thoughts about the whole situation. The most important of which... is the well-being of little Sophia... and a chance for everyone to be regularly involved in her life.


So much... this life... and so much going on right now...


*photo by Elaine A. Russell

14:365:2011

*photo by Elaine A. Russell



I feel like there are great changes that are going to be happening this year.
It feels like there is great movement rumbling about.

One of the big changes that I have not talked about on my post... before now... is about my daughter. I hesitated for a long time, as it is a personal issue... and I didn't want anything to hurt her... or add to her problems in any way. However, she has given me permission to talk about it... and so I will share a little.
My daughter is really, really smart... and really, really creative ( and that's not just me as a mom talking ). She is an incredible artist, and has sold her artwork since she was 12.
She has always had some OCD tendancies... like so many people in my family. After graduating from home school last year however... things exacerbated. I still don't know what the triggers were... and perhaps never will. But... the behaviours manifested most obviously with her diet. She lost about 80lbs in a year... and went on a strict diet. She was being very restrictive on the amounts of food she ate... her fat consumption was nill... and her carbs and protein consumption was very low. Additionally, she had increased her daily amount of exercise. And there were/are other behaviours as well...

Unfortunately, alot of this was going on while I was traveling back and forth to PA... and I was not around to be as supportive (or even aware) as I could've/ should've been. I take alot of responsibility for that. And I feel awful. On the other hand, she is an adult... and there is only so much you can do for someone without infringing on their sense of self and independence. She never, fortunately, got to a critical point health-wise, or needed hospitalization... although it was pretty darn sketchy at times.

Having been home now since the end of October, she and I have been able to grow much closer... and I feel like things are settling down a bit with her OCD behaviours... and getting them more within her comfort level of control. I love her beyond measure. I am so very proud of who she is and how she has grown and matured into this lovely woman...

I felt compelled to write about it, in the hopes that it will open the doors of communication to someone else who may be having a similar issue. Control is a hard thing. Not enough is dangerous... so is too much. Like so many things in life... we strive for a balance...
This is not the end of the story... as I feel like (as with so many health issues)... this is an ongoing thing that she will be facing each and every day. However, I am more than confident that she is up for the task...