challenge CHATTER - 2012

JEN,,,,  I think your pastoral painting of the sheep is coming along very nicely.... loving it.

 

Jen, I'm so sorry to hear that your teacher is failing.  That is a difficult process.

The sheep look wonderful.  I like the colors you are using in their wool.  This is going to be a dynamite painting.  Thank you for keeping us posted.  Looking forward to the finish.

Marsha, thank you for all the good information.  I will look up those little drives.  How convenient.  So far I have been storing photos on a very small flash drive. 

We are going to buy a new computer before July.  I wasn't interested in a laptop since the keyboard is a smaller scale.  I am a typist and don't look at the keys when I type.  Those small size keyboards really throw me off.  I must look and see if there are any that have full size keyboards.

I know that the Apple or Mac is the top of the line.  The last time my computer guru was here, he told me that he loses customers when he tells people to get an Apple.  They just don't need him any more.  The problem with that is they are more expensive and hubby won't go for it.  Usually, I have ways to sway him but they haven't worked yet.  I would like to get an iPad but not until after we get a new computer.

Jen, thanks for all the info.  I've heard from other people that Intel is good.  I'll be looking for lots of power since I'm so tired of this slow machine I have.  I don't know why I've had such an aversion to all-in-one.  After all, that is what the laptops are.  I'll use this info as I continue to search.  Maybe I should visit the Apple Company in Orlando and look at those but I think hubby will still be resistant.

Sam- if he keep resisting you can tell him this, "  with a new PC computer we will need to purchase software,  purchase virus protection and sometimes have to pay to have it installed, ( and we will have to keep purchasing updates),  we will have to call the guru periodically to keep the PC up to date and it tune, there is a fee for that as well,  the headache of a crash should be worth some kind of compensation as well.  With an iMac,  it come with everything you need already built into it.  except a few programs such as Photoshop Elements.  So if we add up the cost, say over three years for a PC,  using just the items listed above,  it as more than we paid for an iMac.   so add up the cost for a pc over three years and add that to the price of the pc.   then look at an iMac.  ".    

as far as the keyboard goes...   when I broke my arm I couldn't use the mac keyboard so I purchased an ergonomic split keyboard,  (it cost a little more but it has saved my arm and wrist.)  it is called a Goldtouch split keyboard, that can be adjusted to any position.  I too am a typist and don't look down and I'm old school and don't like the new little keyboards with their flat keys...  I also got a different mouse its an " mi" laser mouse for pc and mac. It was better for my wrist as well.    ( most things for PC can also be used on a mac just look at the packaging to see if it says mac compatible.   Oh, by the way, the mac has an great Intel processor.   you can see the iMacs at Best Buys and Fry's electronics and if your retired military you can purchase them at a Bass BX and you won't have to pay tax.  If you know a retired person they can also get it for you.  I think Sears now carries them as well. 

I wish you really good luck.  as you can see I am an avid fan and my PC guru also told me they are better but they put him out of business.  I have never had a Mac/Apple  crash in 30 years.

here is the keyboard I use called a Goldtouch.  its for folks with carpal tunnel problems. it can be moved into flat or raised positions.  I love mine.  best investment I made.

Sammy Howard is equally resistant to Apple too. If the PC goes wrong there is a day or two of reinstalling and swearing and something is always lost in the shuffle. My daughter says she had problems all the time with the PC her Dad put together for her for school and college. She said she has not had one bit of trouble since she change to the Mac . She is 100% for a Mac. She says I will like it better but Howard won't do it. He predicted my iPad would be a door stop in six months but I use it almost exclusively except for making photo posts on WC and AD and for storing photos. If I got another iPad I would get a bit more memory that the 14 whatever's the iPad 2 came with.there are bigger sizes but more money. Part of the reason Howard won't go with Mac is because he does not know it. Also he uses it in a more geeky work way than you want to do. If this computer is strictly for your use look at the Mac and see what you think. As Marsha points out you will save money on service calls to make up for more cost up front. I personally don't like those ergo type key boards but Howard does. I can type okay on the iPad screen but I am not a touch typist. But you can get a keyboard to attach to it. So I would say find an Apple user if you have an apple store go. They are so helpful and tollerate the old asking questions.( they all look so young so definitely old to them!) I think that after the ontial learning curve you will like it much better.

Hi all This is another painting to replace one that sold I call it facerock 1/2 sheet Arches rough

Fred

Fred, you squeezed all my favorite colors onto your palette for this one.  What a nice, warm place to live.  As usual, beautiful sky and pretty mountains.  In this imaginary place, some of the rocks wear hats!  I wonder if the man with the burro is a gold miner.  It looks like he's in the right place to mine gold.  This is another fun and interesting painting. 

Fred agree with all Sammy said. Hope the guy watches out for that balancing rock though!

Thanks Sammy. we went to art class today but it was sad knowing our teacher would never come in again and say " well what do you think about this". She is holding her own and not in much pain but she is in all our thoughts all the time. She says she is looking forward to getting a new body and running bare foot in the grass. Sounds wonderful doesn't it!

I worked some more on this but geting overworked. the turning lambs head seems too big and the one on the right needs head surgery or something. does it look bottom heavy with all thos e big lambs?? Maybe i should move the next back baby sheep so it is pointing out to back trees. Oh dear my head is not in this at the moment.

Hi All- Boy, I have to do some catch up again:-

Holly- BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR! . My gosh, finally, you got what you want no matter how you got it. Congratulations, and HIGH FIVE! Now sleep well, eat well. and be sluggish. Don't do anythings at all for a few days. Absorb your new way of living. No rush, no must. Enjoy days of no demands, no datelines, no emergencies. How sweet this is, right? Get back to arts when your heart tells you that you are ready.

Marsha- Nice drawing of darling little kids. You did a good job with shading and shadows everywhere, creating depth and therefore 3-D effects. Both kids look so precious, you captured their personalty well. 

Shiela-  Congratulation with your sale. Nice to know that people like your work enough to purchase it, isn't it?

Fred- Thanks for showing us the replica of the paintings that you sold. It's nice that you can replace them. I would never duplicate mine I think I lack the ability or patience to redo my paintings all over again.

Sammy- Good luck with your quest to buy a new computer. I've never used the Mac. I am probably like JEN's hubby, I like my PC laptop b/c I can haul it anywhere in and out of the house when we travel. It seldom causes any problem. We have two laptops, one for each of us in our household and got rid of the desktop. I remember our first desktop cost us a couple of thousand dollars and it was a Dell. It lasted seven years. The two subsequent PC were  Dell too.  All had Intel inside. I heard that with the Mac, you need a learning curve that I won't be patient enough to try. And for what I used it for, I don't need to be that sophisticate. I use my laptop for e-mails, Facebook, on line seminar, make simple documents, upload and download pictures, capture and snipping pictures, resize pictures then transfer to my various removable storage drives. I will do Printshop as soon as I finish its download to make my own printing, etc. Not bad for a reasonable price computer. I think I am with Sammy's hubby for not wanting to spend more money when I can get by with less costly one.

Jen- Your sheep painting looks finished and really nice. The animals are wooly and cute. I like this painting a lot. It's lively and pleasant to look at. Real good job.

Jen, I don't think that the turning lamb's head is too big.  He's so cute.  The weight of the five sheep in the bottom right corner is balanced by the big tree.   The big tree looks olive green but I realize that it could just be the photo.  I think I would like to see the shadow under it toned down some so that it isn't an attention grabber.  This is really looking good.

Thanks Sandi, still got stuff to do. Sammy thanks. I will work on the shadow not sure what colour to use. The Howard said the sheeps head was too big but I had such a job getting him to look like a sheep I think I will leave him. May still turn that baby sheep to put more grass by Mr. Turn around! Feel like I am floundering with this a bit.

Hi all  Jen I love your sheep painting they look so real and alive.

Sandi, These paintings are not replicas of the one's sold I'm like you I never try to duplicate my work what I meant was to is to provide a new painting to fill the vacant place left on the gallery wall since my stuff will hang until May 27

Fred

Hello everyone!! I see there are a bunch of new people since I was last on.  Sadly, I have been unable to work on any artwork at all. Between issues with family and my medical issues, we also had delay after delay on the home construction. 

Well - good news!!! Construction started today. We finally, after over 1 year, got our building permit this past Friday. We should have the garage conversion and addition completed within 6-7 months. We had to have an addition to comply with new rules in our local Town Hall. The addition is being called a "playroom", but it is 416 sq ft, and it will have one area for the XBox 360 and the Playstation 2 for the kids, and the other 2/3 of the building will be mine for my scrap-booking/car making and artwork (acrylic painting).

Kristina- Welcome back from life's demands! We all have to go through these sometimes. However we always come back to Art, right? I am so... glad to hear from you and to know that your dream home project is coming along well. Congratulation! Pretty soon now you will be able to enjoy your own "getaway" place from the world. How sweet is that? In the mean time,take some time to do some art while waiting for it to finish. After the building is done, there will be a lot to do to decorate and furnish and putting things in places. I can see a lots of shopping to be done. I have been through that and so happy that we did downsize and not have to worry about maintaining the big home anymore.