Lemon Lime Sorbet

exhibit 412

2006-09-15T16:28:00.000-04:00

Carnival series
"Exhibit 412", incomplete
8x10" acrylic on watercolour paper

Harry had an itch

2006-08-17T21:13:00.000-04:00

Harry had an itch
6x9 acrylic on paper

Poor little Mary lost her hair at the county fair

2006-08-17T11:37:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest painting, 5x7 acrylic on paper "Poor little Mary lost her hair at the county fair".
The quality of the photo is quite poor as you can see, the colours are off and it's slightly out of focus, I just haven't taken the time to take a better shot.

Bob

2006-07-30T14:09:00.000-04:00

5" x 7" acrylic on paper

I'm happy with the way Bob turned out, particularly his hat. his collar and shirt could be better but not bad.

Heady 01

2006-07-27T15:23:00.000-04:00

5" x 7" Acrylic on paper

Journal entries

2006-07-27T15:18:00.000-04:00

Two journal pages from this month.

sodapop 1

2006-07-08T16:24:00.000-04:00

latest illustration, Sodapop 1
acrylic and ink on watercolour paper
not what I expected but at least it's another completed picture.
There have been dozens in between this and the last one which have ended up in the trash. Still working out my prefered style, technique etc. The next one may be very different.

fancity 01 complete

2006-06-18T09:23:00.000-04:00

completed fancity 01.
Graphite, ink, coloured pencil

I prefer works done by hand, ie I'm not a fan of work completed by computer it just doesn't feel real and the effert isn't the same so I love to see people doing work by hand i love old school techniques.

new day, new stuff

2006-06-16T17:22:00.000-04:00

Ive rediscovered pen and ink and am going back to illustration.
first post is fancity 01, before the colour. Hopefully I won't screw up while adding the colour, it's always so nerve racking to add colour, you've come so far and spent so much time on an image it would suck to mess up now.
Anyway if all goes well the finished product will up up later.

journey

2006-04-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

Looked out my window this morning to see these two friends wandering around the back lawn. They wandered up from the river around the front of the house and seem to be headed across the road. Thankfully we live on an island so they will hit water again shortly.
Strange to see them on the lawn so far from the water, I wonder if they felt like an adventure.

Junk 2 Art, Purchase 01

2006-04-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

I bought this window yesterday at an antique shop that I had been passing for the last 12 years but never investigated. I didnt find anything inside the shop but I did find this outside amongst the "junk" which is where I tend to find the best things.
Not sure what I will do with it yet but I like how it looks. So far Ive taken out the glass and the sheet metal insert and dusted it off. I'll finish cleaning it properly and go from there.
The guy wanted $10.00 for it (seriously it isnt that great of a find) so I talked him down to five dollars. I sill think he got the better end of the deal because I'm pretty sure the stuff I was searching threw was destined for the trash.

yesterdays bike ride

2006-04-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

what I saw yesterday while out for a bicycle ride around the area. A few old buildings, ruins, an old barn and a train passing by

you know you've thought it

2006-03-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

Designer Bodhi Oser had an idea and from it came a book. So simple and so damb funny too. I love it. Check it out here

and I'd also like...

2006-02-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

To add to my ever growing "want" list: the book of tags

latest favourite thing to follow

2006-01-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

Not only a great idea but awesome artwork as well. For those of you who don't know Tom Judd from last years Everyday

he has started a new project "Once a week, art vs advertising" which should be something worth following.

In his own words "This is ONCE-A-WEEK, my new online project for 2006. It is primarily a way to keep me drawing everyday, although unlike EVERYDAY this project has a little more going on. Each and every Saturday I will be putting the original page up for auction on e-bay with the starting price of 1p. I am also selling the chance for anyone to mutilate my art for advertising space."

no excuse

2006-01-25T15:13:00.000-05:00

I've no excuse for not posting in such a long time other than the more I put it off the easier it is to forget about it. Anyway I'm back and though you'd think I'd have a lot to say I really dont.
I had a great Christmas, even though I was alone I still had a lot of fun. Maybe because there was no stress involved, no family infighting etc. Amongst many things I recieved Madonna's new CD which is unbelievable, I can't get enough of it. Ive been waiting years for her to do an all dance album.
I've been keeping busy doing some major overhauling on my business and business website, re-thinking the whole concept and adding new services. Ive basically decided to go back to what I do best, offering services rather than products. I missed being able to help people.
Last weekend I flew to Edmonton for a final visit with my boyfriend who is now on his way to Kandahar with the Military.
In the mean time I'm still waiting to get the go ahead for my move to B.C. I was supposed to be there beginning of January now it's been moved to the beginning of February but Im not feeling confident about that.

Geese

2005-12-13T10:29:00.000-05:00

As of this past Sunday, December 10th, 05 there were still geese resting on the rivers edge although this time they were resting on the ice. Can't figure why there are still some geese around; I keep hoping they know something that we don't, like the weather is going to change and warm up dramatically or something.
Have not seen any since Sunday so maybe they have all finally gone South.

river in the winter

2005-12-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

The river changes every day but most dramatically this time of year when it starts to freeze over in the night and thaw out during the day. Had I taken this picture earlier in the morning it would have shown the steam rising from the water.

2005-11-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

Conrad Black vowed Thursday he would be vindicated of accusations that he misappropriated millions of dollars of money from Hollinger International.
By Lauren La Rose
Canadian Press
"There's no truth or substance whatsoever to these charges."

"This has been one massive smear job from A to Z, and it will have a surprise ending."

That ending will amount to "a complete vindication of the defendants, and exposure of their persecutors," Mr. Black

Whatever Conrad
Looks like you are finally going down.

Kettle

2005-11-18T10:08:00.000-05:00

To all of you who have tried boiling water here at the house and wondered why it took so long you will be happy to know I have purchased a brand new Kettle and thrown the old one away. The old one wasn't broken it just kept cutting out so it would shut down several times while it was heating up. Very annoying.
Now you can boil water in two minutes rather than 5 - 10 minutes.

just for fun

2005-11-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

found this image and thought I would share for all those who may not have seen it yet. It really does need a title.
(found via Micheal D. Pollock of smallbusinessbranding)

on the move

2005-11-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

I have been given the opportunity to house sit for my brother up in Gibsons BC starting in January for three months and after doing some research about the area I have decided to take this opportunity.
I have learned that Gibsons has a lot of economic potential and the town is starting to do a lot of work towards building a stronger future. What is really exciting for me is there focus on tourism as my background lies in hospitality and tourism.

I've started to make a few contacts there and hope to make a few more this month before people get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Free long distance?

2005-11-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

I finally discovered Skype last night and am looking forward to using it. I don't have a microphone for my computer so can't test this out.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the sound quality is good.
I would love to hear what other peoples experiences have been like.

cow watching

2005-11-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

About a week and a half ago a neighbour of mine rang me up and asked if I would like to accompany him while he went off in search of cows to photograph. Now this sounds strange of course but to his defence he is a photographer and is making an animal calendar.
I decided to tag along because I figured it was a bizarre way to spend an afternoon - looking at cows, I've never done that before.
Anyway I brought my little camera and took a few pictures (when in Rome...)
I can't help but feel a bit sad looking at this picture because I keep thinking someday soon they will all be at McDonalds.

enough already 01

2005-11-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

Enough already with the term "Fashionista".
Like so many trends and catch phrases, "fashionista" has been over used and now ruined. If you read it on a Hallmark card it is time to move on.

The last two weeks

2005-11-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

My activities for the last two weeks have been:

Cleaning
Emptying out my bedroom
Ripping up carpeting
Painting walls
Painting the floor
Sorting and organizing stuff from bedroom
Putting furniture and saved stuff back into bedroom

Outside:
Raking leaves
Re-organizing cottage
Moving lawn furniture into cottage
Moving rocks

I had hoped to accomplish all of these tasks in a week but I forgot to take into account that I could not bring furniture back into the bedroom right away because I was painting the floor which needed three coats of paint and required a few extra days of drying time.
I also took two days off to visit with friends and do some shopping and one day off to kick back and relax.

Update

2005-10-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy for the last while I have neglected this site so I am trying to squeeze in a few moments now.
This past week I had a bit of a vacation and spent a few days in Grimsby Ontario where I helped celebrate my grandmothers 90th birthday with friends and family. It was a lot of fun and I had the opportunity to visit with my niece and nephew who I do not get to see very often.
This past month has found me busy working outdoors on some landscaping projects. I have been moving rocks and laying out stone pathways, a job that seemed easy until I started; now I am trying not to regret it.
An opportunity to live in Gibson’s BC for three months has presented itself so I am looking into the idea, checking out the community and looking at apartments and rental rates should I choose to stay longer.
I have not made up my mind yet but I am leaning closer to the idea of moving.

Mission 101

2005-08-22T19:40:00.000-04:00

I read about the 101 mission list today over at getcrafty and am contemplating creating my own list. The rules found here are as follows:
Quote:
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

I love making lists and love the feeling you get from crossing something off your list.
I think the fun part about this mission will be to actually come up with 101 things to do.
I will keep you posted as to whether or not I decide to do this.

Gazpacho time

2005-08-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

It seems to be that time of year. I have seen a variety of Gazpacho recipes popping up all over the place, 2 in my local paper and a few more in some magazines.
Gazpacho is one of my favourite summer foods and it is especially nice when you can get all of your ingredients fresh from the farmers market.
I am making some today and thought I would post the recipe that my family has used for years:
5 – 6 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Fresh pimento (or bottled pimento)
1 handful of black olives, pitted and quartered
2 garlic cloves, finally chopped
1 cup tomato or V-8 juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Pinch of cayenne
Dash of Tabasco

Combine all ingredients, salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill.
Best prepared a day ahead.

Enjoy!

New word

2005-08-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

I am listening to the program Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio One and today's discussion is about words and what words are being over used and what words should be revived. People have been calling in sharing words they hate and words they love. One caller named Matt I think, called in suggesting a new word to be introduced to our vocabulary and I fully agree and will start using it myself. This word is: Ridonkulous, meaning more than ridiculous. "that is so ridiculous it is ridonkulous."
What a great sound this word has. I am jumping on the bandwagon Matt.
Ok all join in and start using the word ridonkulous.

photo of the day

2005-08-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

Rock glass turned candle holder

books

2005-07-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

I can not remember the last time I have read a good novel. When I do find time to read it has been non fiction or a textbook or something like that but not a good old novel and I miss that. Finding something good to read can be a bit of a problem at times too but this time I think I have found something just right. Thanks to my friend Sam who just wrote me and told me about the latest book he just finished called Shantaram
Here is a bit of the editors review from amazon
"At the start of this massive, thrillingly undomesticated potboiler, a young Australian man bearing a false New Zealand passport that gives his name as "Lindsay" flies to Bombay some time in the early '80s. On his first day there, Lindsay meets the two people who will largely influence his fate in the city. One is a young tour guide, Prabaker, whose gifts include a large smile and an unstoppably joyful heart. Through Prabaker, Lindsay learns Marathi (a language not often spoken by gora, or foreigners), gets to know village India and settles, for a time, in a vast shantytown, operating an illicit free clinic. The second person he meets is Karla, a beautiful Swiss-American woman with sea-green eyes and a circle of expatriate friends. Lin's love for Karla—and her mysterious inability to love in return—gives the book its central tension. "Linbaba's" life in the slum abruptly ends when he is arrested without charge and thrown into the hell of Arthur Road Prison. Upon his release, he moves from the slum and begins laundering money and forging passports for one of the heads of the Bombay mafia, guru/sage Abdel Khader Khan. Eventually, he follows Khader as an improbable guerrilla in the war against the Russians in Afghanistan. There he learns about Karla's connection to Khader and discovers who set him up for arrest."
My kind of story.
I think this will be my next purchase.
Thanks Sam for the tip.

2005-07-24T10:42:00.000-04:00

I am not usually a fan of taking candid shots of a pet but this time around I did. This is Hiker who has found a new spot to relax out in the garden enjoying the afternoon stretched out on a lounge chair.

do something creative

2005-07-18T19:25:00.000-04:00

I like the idea of taking a photo a day or doing a painting or scetch or drawing a day and am going to try and do the same. Though I don't think I will manage to do any of the above ever single day so I won't put such a strong demand on myself to produce just yet. I will shoot for doing something 3 times a week and see how that goes. Today I am posting a photograph. This photo was taken on my front porch and is of an old bird's nest that I had found last fall and had place on the porch railing. It has survived a long winter and the heavy rains of spring and is just now starting to show some distress. I think it is beautiful.

Canada kicks ass

2005-07-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Canada Day everybody!!!!
I hope you are all out celebrating with a few beers and some good friends enjoying this day. Looks like the weather is holding out (for those in Ottawa anyway) Not to hot and there should be clear skys for the fireworks tonight.
Have an awesome day everybody.

wedding trip

2005-06-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

I was in Collingwood last weekend attending a wedding not far from there and I had a great time. I had never been to Collingwood and to tell the truth had never heard of or new the place existed. Not knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised. The town is kind of like a summer and winter playground for people who live in Toronto. It is a fairly wealthy community with retired couples or people coming up for the weekend to there second home.
The drive there and back was interesting too. It is always interesting to drive threw little towns and farm country, you never know what you are going to see.
This house had there whole front lawn covered in stuffed animals. The picture doesn't capture the amount of dolls but it was really cool.

Another spot along the highway was a place which didnt appear to be on somebody's private property which had a row of 3 or 4 trees covered more than half way up each tree with shoes. I wondered if one person has done this or if it was started by one person and then added to over the years by individuals driving by?

To hot

2005-06-11T14:28:00.000-04:00

I am always surprised at how much the weather can affect my productivity or lack there of. Today the temperature has hit 41c, that's with the humidity and I have NO energy what so ever. All I want to do is line down and take a nap. Fatigue for me is the worst thing to deal with because I want to get things done but just don't have the energy to do so.
I'm thinking about switching my sleeping habits during the summer, sleep during the day when it is hot and work over night when it is cooler.

Double the fun

2005-05-29T19:52:00.000-04:00

Though I don’t need more to do, I’ve finally set up my work related blog paynedesigns, now boasting a whopping two entries as of this post.
The intent is to keep work and business seperate from personal.

The art of pinstriping

2005-05-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

I have been bad at not posting here for awhile but I finally decided to start being an active participant in some of the forums I frequent and I have yet to master the art of multitasking.
Anyway, my new “must have, must learn, must try” thing for this week is the art of pinstiping. I have always admired the paint jobs on custom choppers and, hot rods etc. and thought how cool would it be to do that so this week I made another impulse buy and ordered myself a few Mack pinstriper brushes.
I don’t have a car or bike that I could detail but I’m hoping to learn a few things and then adapt it into some artwork or other crafty item.
It will be interesting to see what happens.

2005-05-23T23:02:00.000-04:00

my impulse purchase for this month

brand new day

2005-05-17T12:30:00.000-04:00

A quick shout out to M & N, Congratulations on the birth of your first baby. My nephew was born today weighing in at 8pounds 11ounces. Mother and baby are both doing fine.
Welcome to the world little one. (no name chosen at time of this posting)
I am an Aunt once again. I've got some shopping to do.

What to do What to do

2005-05-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

I’m having one of those days where I don’t know what to do with myself. Do I go out and work in the studio, or stay in my office and work on my website or something else.
On days like this I end up accomplishing next to nothing. I find myself going back and forth from the studio to the office, studio, office, studio, office, outside for a walk, kitchen for food. I wander around aimlessly because I can not stay focused long enough on one task. I find myself doing one thing and thinking about all the other things I should or could be doing.
It is raining and damp and gloomy outside today which may be contributing to my present mood. Weather has an extreme effect on me which is why I think I should move to Arizona or someplace like that, I thrive in the sun.
I have a feeling I will end up spending the day checking out some of my favourite websites instead of doing anything constructive.

2005-05-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

Congo painting

2005-05-12T20:05:00.000-04:00

Question:
Would you buy a painting created by a chimpanzee? And if so would you buy it if it wasn’t promoted threw a prestigious auction house?
Three paintings created by Congo the chimpanzee, will be up for auction at Bonhams auction house next month and are expected to fetch between £600-800.
I will be interested to see how much they sell for in the end.

2005-05-12T18:42:00.000-04:00

Looks like I've got to start using spell check or at least slow down and pay attention while I type.
Oops.

2005-05-12T18:15:00.000-04:00

I know I shouldn't have to say this but,
If you are going to leave a comment leave one that makes some sense so that I and the rest can follow other wise what's the point?

2005-05-12T17:52:00.000-04:00

Hubert

stickers

2005-05-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

I love stickers or street stickers. The art you see stuck around town. It's such a simple and easy way to get your message, assuming you have one, out there.
Just checked out a gallery from the U.K. Streetstickers.
Not a bad gallery all though you have to flip threw each picture one by one. There links page has a good listing.

Ranting 101

2005-05-06T12:19:00.000-04:00

First let me start by saying I have no idea how people find the time to update there blogs on a regular basis never mind on a daily basis. I am impressed by you all who post daily.
This past weekend was moving weekend for me. I moved a whole ten feet. Wow. Now that the spring weather has come I was able to move my studio back out to the cottage which is not winterized so I am only able to use it seasonaly. Unfortunately I think the move was a bit hasty because this week has not been warm enough to spend more than 3o minutes in there before my fingers freeze up. It is nice to have my stuff laid out properly though rather than stuffed in corners, under couches and behind furniture like it has been all winter. I am a bit of a neat freak when it comes to my house and I hate having art stuff lying around the living room/dining room etc.
I've spent this week attempting to set up my website. It's not going so well. I have the domain and a host but that's it. I am starting to think that setting up a business while trying to create new designs, find buyers, do the marketing and set up a website with no tech. skills is a bad idea.
I think next week might be spent finding somebody to design my site for me.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah technology!! driving me so so so so crazy right now.
Please somebody do this for me!

new work

2005-04-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

Had a good time in the city but it is nice to be back home. I had forgotten what polution smells like. Been busy designing a couple of t-shirts and hope to do some more soon. My latest: the Me inc. series. available at my Zazzle gallery. If you are new to zazzle it's worth checking out. You can upload your pictures, designs etc. and have them made into apparel, posters, prints and cards.

2005-04-30T12:47:00.000-04:00

Me inc. t-shirt 02

2005-04-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

Me inc. T-shirt 01

Big City

2005-04-24T21:27:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am heading into the city. It has been such a long time that I feel like I should be dressing in my Sunday best or something. Anyway I am looking forward to seeing a few friends, doing a bit of shopping and having a franchised cup of coffee.
I received the book "Paper Graphics, the power of paper in graphic design" for my birthday (happy birthday to me) and am loving the designs inside. Always inspiring to see what other people have come up with. Blackcoffee design had a few interesting works showcased which I found particularly interesting.

2005-04-21T18:26:00.000-04:00

Paper Source paper

Hello my name is

2005-04-21T18:02:00.000-04:00

Hello my name is A.D. Payne and I am a shopaholic. Hmmm I don't feel any better.
I thought that moving to the country would save me money. The separation of Payne from store and all that. It actually did work until I ran out of printer ink. That is when I discovered the joys of online shopping. It turns out you can get just as excited about receiving a new purchase in the mail as you would if purchased in person.
It started innocently enough, I had to buy some ink so I went to staples and learned they offer free delivery on purchases over $50 which I had to take advantage of so I got my ink, some paper, a few file folders and a bookshelf (it was on sale).
After staples I needed some decorative paper for a new project I was working on and after some searching I discovered and quickly became addicted to, Paper Source.
It's all been downhill from there, paper, office supplies, clothing, beauty products, you name it I've bought it online. The fact that I know my credit card number by heart says it all. I can't even hide my card for safety.
All this is to say, once again, Hello my name is A.D. Payne and I am a shopaholic.

2005-04-21T12:59:00.000-04:00

Scooter

2005-04-21T12:58:00.000-04:00

e-bike

Birthday crisis

2005-04-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure, but I think I am starting to realize how quickly my 30th birthday is creeping up on me. Why else would I want to go out and purchase a scooter. I saw a picture of one last night and remembered how fun they were to play with as a kid and could totally picture myself on one now, kickin' around town.
Then I thought I might be to old to be traveling around on a scooter so I started to look at bicycles and found a nice looking electric bike. Not a new concept but they are picking up in popularity, especially out in British Columbia where I hope to be heading off to soon. Then I took a look at the price and rethought the idea of buying an electric bicycle.
I'm back to the idea of a scooter.

Don't think, just write

2005-04-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

I have over thought this new post and am now left with very little to say. This was supposed to be a witty and entertaining introduction, outlining the direction and ideas I have for lemon lime sorbet.
Unfortunately I am suffering from a wicked bout of writers block.