January 2014 – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

Resolutions

By Karla Nathan / January 8, 2014

Some years I make resolutions, some I don't. I've thought of a few that I need to accomplish. The biggest? I need to work on my hand writing. Yep. It is the WORST. If you've ever ordered anything from me, I'll bet you can't read the note on the back of the business card, can you?

So, #1- Handwriting.

#2? Re-housebreaking. Ugh.

These were winter pups, and I let them use pee pads in the house too much because I was too cold to go out in the snow. They need to get out of that habit and it's said that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners- my bad, not theirs.

For a while in 2013, I kept them on leashes when they weren't in the pen with the dog door to the fenced yard. It was a hassle, but it worked. I need to make myself do that again. No pupeesh running loose in the house. I will take them out to pee and convince them that the pee pads are not the best way to go.

#3- I want to do more workshops at the studio. Not big ones, just a few seasonal things like the Valentine and Christmas parties I had here.

#4- I'd love to do a swap. In 2013, I didn't host one at all. This Fairy Book Swap from 2012 was such a delight for me, I really need to do another one.

Hmmmmm, now I need an equally fun theme……

#5- LIST THE CRAP I HAVE PILED UP TO SELL. Not the kid, the dress. I took a lot of photos of her in old dresses and never listed them. Those dresses and a couple of tubs of things that need to be photographed and sold got stacked away and forgotten.

(Shoulda put that one first, really, but was reminded by #4 that I have a stack of fairy book kits left over that I have never added to my shop. And those are from 2012, that is lazy!)

Please wish me luck. I'm pretty good about resolutions, but I've never tried 5 at once.

Under the Sea mural in Jacksonville and shark attacks in Maui

hand painted signs, paintings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 5, 2014

While we were visiting the Guncles in Jacksonville before Christmas, we drove by the Embassy Suites on our way to the airport.

Years and years ago, I'd painted a mural around their pool, and we stopped in to see if it was still there.

It is and has held up just wonderfully!

This was a large project, but was a fast one. I'm trying to remember how long I spent on it, but since it was so long ago, I'm fuzzy on the details. But typically, something like this only took a few days or so.

In the past, I used to travel around and do lots of murals in bars, restaurants, dozens and dozens of day cares, plus in private homes. I loved doing it, and was pretty quick, in and out in a day for most jobs.

I sure am NOT that fast anymore. This painting took me weeks, but it was hanging in my garage and I could work on it in little snatches of time here and there. Plus, I was entranced by the whole theme and really enjoyed sneaking off into a fairytale forest for an afternoon getaway of painting. And it is a more finished piece than the fish picture. Painting just for the pure love of painting is diferent than painting for a client and a budget.

For the hotel painting, the background was painted blue before I got there and I was just adding fish over it.

I did use a deeper blue washed over the base color at the ocean floor.

Painting over the heavily textured walls was a challenge. Most of the creatures had to be planned to fit into the plaster pattern. I always did faces first, fitting it into the smoothest spots and working the body in around it.

Even all these years later, I remember working around that rough texture. Also trying to balance on a ladder in a planter as it kept sinking into the dirt.

And getting up my nerve to climb up the scaffolding that was perched across the pool at this end.

I'm not good with heights at all. I packed a lunch and a bottle of water and stayed up on the scaffold all day because I was too chicken to climb down. But the biggest problem with being on a scaffold for me is that once I get involved with working, I start to forget how high up I am and almost topple off the edge when I step back to take a look at the painting!

All of my work is done freehand, with no sketching. Which is a good thing, since I had to work around the plaster textures and fit the fish in where they went best with the rough walls.

Can you see the hidden mermaid in this closeup? I didn't remember doing that, but Guncle Randy reminded me that I hid a few in the painting. I could only find this one.

I dont' think I was as successful with the plaster problem with this birds. The one on the left has a slash across it's neck.

It meant a lot to me, that my husband turned off the highway and stopped at this hotel to take a look at the mural. These mural jobs that I used to do, maybe weren't high class paintings, but they sure were fun jobs and I was lucky enough to keep pretty busy with them. It felt good to look back at this one and not cringe, like I sometimes do with my older art.

It is far, far from perfect, but I can accept it as doing what the client wanted and be happy with the outcome. Of course, I'd like it better if I'd had a couple weeks for each wall instead of a few hours. But I'm proud of the fact that I could whip these paintings out in a short enough time to make it profitable for me to do.

All these fishies are timely for me right now. As you read this, I hope to be snorkeling. My husband and I are off to Hawaii for a visit with his dear sis, Terry and her husband.

Although, I am a bit worried about this kind of fish. Did you hear about the number of shark attacks off of Maui in 2013???? Two deaths, one near the beach we use.

Hopefully I won't be adding to those statistics. And 2014 will be a better year for swimmers in Hawaii. I'm going to be brave and not let the number of bites stop my water sport fun!

Although, I might be looking over my shoulder a bit, into the waves behind me…

What a year, wowzers!

cottage, Dew Drop, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, guncles, magazine pictures or articles, Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest, parties, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2014

For 2014's shiny new beginning, I thought I'd look back at 2013's biggest events for me, and show you some of my favorite photos.

Sugarwings starting first grade was major stepping stone in our lives last year.

In my mind, I always picture her like this. Darn the calendar! The pages flip too fast.

I think the biggest event of 2013 for Dewdrop was the day she received this "fincess" dress. She has hardly taken it off since October.

(we love that she calls 'princess' 'fincess', because her brother is named, Fin)

Of course, starting a sustainable food forest with a fairy playground on our land was a HUGE move.

When it was in full bloom, and veggies were popping up everywhere, it was the prettiest garden I've ever seen. And to know that this is only the first year, of a lifetime plan, fills me with excitement.

The year began with a longed for trip to Hawaii with my husband's sister, Terry and her husband. It was the first of many visits with her. I had a GREAT year of trips and visits with family and friends.

Wow, I'd say it was a record setting year for sistering. My sisters came here to see me twice, and I went to Indy to see them.

I got to visit darling Guncles, seeing my little bro, Randy FOUR times.

Starting with the pure fabulousness of going to Karen Hillman's Cozy Cottage to teach a class as a surprise birthday gift for her friend.

I got to introduce Fabulous Karen to Fabulous Randy, and it all led to a Fabulous Black Velvet Christmas party in Jacksonville.

And seriously, I probably didn't say the word fabulous enough, that word was written just for Karen and Randy. It should never be used to describe anything else, it belongs to them.

I saw Terry again in California when I taught at Kim's Enchanted Affaire, where I met up with good friends that I love like family too.

Painting the mural for the event was a biggie, I loved working on it so much, that I really put myself into it, and every day that I painted was like a little trip to a fairy tale forest. After the workshop, Kim mailed it back to me and it is now chopped up and stapled in the fairy girls' room

Before it was sliced up, I also used it at Birdsong 3.

Which was another big highlight of my year. Oh my, sooooo many nice people came to play at the cottage. I can't wait for BS4. Yep, 4, I can't believe it is coming up. I'd better get to planning, huh?

After the CA trip, I went to Disneyland with Terry. Then, for the Hippy Chick's college graduation, we took her and Sugarwings to Disneyworld in Florida. It was a Disney-rific year.

But I have to say that one of the best things I did all year, or maybe in the last ten years, was to take a summer off to be with the kids.

We went to zoos, parks, carnivals, boating, beaches, all sort of things.

We played dress up.

We blew bubbles.

We had craft days. Lots of craft days.

We invented a new game, called "Hoppity Hearts". It is a bit like Hopscotch without the boring squares.

Summer spilled over into fall, and we kept on playing. We saw the Renfest twice.

Even Uncle Ryan came along, just two weeks after his heart attack. His illness was the bad spot of the year, but I have to say, it brought us closer together.

I also got to see good friends again in October on a trip to Georgia. (and yes, that same shirt I'm wearing has been in three other of these photos,I'm surprised it isn't in more. Looks like I got as much use from that shirt as I did from the Enchanted Forest mural)

It was also a year of parties and more classes. I had a small, Valentine workshop in the studio.

And then another group of friends came by for a Christmas ornament making workshop.

I was in a few publications too. My Tiffany's mural from Kim's Affaire at Tiffany's the year before was in Mingle. I wasn't named as the artist, but I still think it counts, don't you?

And it was so special to me to see my Birdsong projects in Jewelry Affaire. I was in that one earlier in the year for another project too.

Fifi came out to shoot my cottage for Romantic Country.

And my pal, Carol was here to shoot the studio for Where Women Create.

I must have made hundreds of little birdcages prepping for two classes and an online class I have offered.

And I even did some redos on the house this year. I made new slip covers for the sofa and pillows for the bedroom. Spiffed up, repainted, rearranged rooms, and recovered a wall.

Yep, 2013 was one for the record books.

No wonder I'm tired…