SHINGLES...are not just found on your roof!!

Well, I'm back from NY...actually got home late on the 21st and flew home sick. I started getting sick Friday evening after I arrived. (flu like symptoms, aching and nausea...along with welts on my left eyelid and in the hairline) I had been outside playing catch with my grandson and thought I had been bitten by gnats.

I just kept getting worse and the headache...oh my. We did have my birthday dinner on Saturday, but it was hard to enjoy.

Monday we started looking for a doctor I could go to. The doctor took one look at my forehead, hairline and eye...diagnosed me with SHINGLES and prescribed 'mega antibiotics". I still tried to object, even as I was sent to an eye doctor because of concern that the eye was involved. (I had spots on the lid and it was swollen and itchy). I still thought I had gnat bites!!

The eye doctor confirmed...SHINGLES. The good news was that the eye itself showed no signs of infection. I was to fly back on Tuesday...thought about canceling my flight as I was so sick but I just wanted to get home and to my own bed and my own physicians. (I was told that with 24 hours of antibiotics in me I would not be contagious.)

So, Tuesday morning, looking and feeling pretty rough, I covered the offending part of my forehead and eye with Neosporen...covered that with makeup...carefully combed my hair (the left side of my head was now involved and very sore)...put on some big sunglasses and headed to the airport. (Hoping people would just think that perhaps I was an 'old movie star' and not notice how sick I was.)

After two doctor visits, four appointments with the optomitirst, various antibotics, pain pills, and lots of PRAYERS from everyone... I'm going back to work this week (both Salon and Tech Support).

Despite everything...I am surely blessed. My flight home was good, my eyesight was unaffected, and I have this wonderful support system of friends. They brought in groceries, meals, and took me to my doctor appointments. They called my salon customers...no small job in itself.

Most importantly...they prayed.


It's so good to once again be part of a functioning society...good to be alive!
Sincerely,
Marsha

Flying Out in the morning...to the Big Apple

Just a quick post here to let you know 'my new camera' and I are headed to NY to visit my daughter and grandson. I can hardly wait. I visited Christmas for Teddy's Barmitzvah ...but things were really hectic. There was very little time to just sit and enjoy each other.

This trip is just for pleasure. They live on Long Island, about 4 blocks from the water...you can actually smell the water when you step outside. Wonderful. The weather doesn't sound great but who cares about the weather when you are in good company.

My daughter "the chef" is fixing me a 'live lobster' dinner for my birthday with my favorite desert "coconut cream pie"...can't you just taste it?

The first time she fixed fresh lobster I almost jumped out of my skin...I'm such a midwest country girl at heart. I didn't know you could buy them live and keep them in a box in the frig until time to cook them.

Tami set the box on the table...I didn't know what was in it. When the lobsters got warm, they began to move and the box was jumping around. For a moment I thought perhaps I had had too much Scotch!!!!

My, My, My....I really don't think it gets much better (a little 'good wine', fresh whole lobster, drawn butter, a loaf of hard bread, fresh roasted asparagus and coconut cream pie....all served up with the company of family)

The food alone is worth the trip!!

I will write more in a week or so and hopefully have some pictures to share.

Take care, I will miss everyone.

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Midnight Rose...carbon and graphite

...Midnight Rose...

carbon and graphite pencil on paper, 7x7
prints available
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Small Open Edition Giclee Print
$40.00
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The Story Behind the Image: Have you ever looked into your rose garden on a warm summer night when there is a full moon. Take a look sometime, you'll find your roses dancing in the moonlight!

I thoroughly got into this drawing. I swear I could almost feel the velvety petals in my mind as I worked. I applied carbon directly to the paper in the deep creases of the petals, using a stump to blend towards the areas touched by the moonlight. I then applied graphite with a chamois square to the brightest highlights and used a 6B carbon pencil to fill in the background.

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I'm proud to share an exurb from Matthew Merrighn's essay, "The Gray Rose". I sponsor a Literary Contest each year for Young Authors at our local High School ...and Matthew's essay won third place this year. The students must select one of my drawings as their subject and Matthew chose to write about "Midnight Rose". Read all winning entries.

The Gray Rose....by Matthew Merrighn

"The gray Rose is most desired, not for it's beauty, but for it's uniqueness. The Gray Rose Will be immortalized for it's uncommon color. As time progresses, people will realize the greatness of the Gray Rose and in doing so the Gray Rose will become most desired. But only those who first recognized it's significance will have a Gray Rose of their own."
Click here to read Matthew's entire essay.



Links:
My Website...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
Portfolio of Works...learn more about "Midnight Rose"
Literary Contest...introduction to the 2008 Literary Contest
Literary Contest...2008 winning entries
"The Gray Rose"...by Matthew Merrighn

Major League Dreams...carbon and charcoal

...Major League Dreams...

Charcoal and Carbon pencil on paper, 9x7
*This is the companion drawing for "Batting Practice".
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Small Open Edition Giclee Print
$40.00
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Secure Purchase...with PayPal
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Large...open edition Giclee Print @ $49
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The Story Behind the Image: Major League Dreams was a gift for my ten year old grandson. As with most boys this age, he is an avid baseball fan and an aspiring major league player. I took this photo of him standing on third base, waiting for his opportunity to make the winning run for the game.

I really like the composition of this drawing...I used both charcoal and carbon pencil on the shoes in order to show the different tones and textures of the dark leather. The rest of the drawing is mainly carbon pencil. The socks have many, many, many, layers of carbon, blended with a chamois square and tissue.


Links:
Website ...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
My Squidoo ...Drawing Techniques


PS...make a "Point"...leave a comment

I'm So Excited...finially purchased a pocket camera

My new 'Pocket Camera'
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I've posed the question "which small camera" on this blog before. I have read your recommendations and researched, and looked, and pondered...what am I giving up to have a camera small enough to carry in my purse?

Saturday I took the plunge and purchased the Cannon PowerShot SX110.
Here are the things I liked about it.... 9mp, 10x zoom, manual choice of flash use, good auto modes (for quick shots), manual settings as well, and a great macro.

The 'icing on the cake'...it is only 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.8 in size...actually fits into my hand, I'm in love. A man might not consider this a true 'pocket camera'...but it will fit into a jacket pocket or perhaps a pair of dockers. As for me...in my purse, I hardly know it's there.

I have to admit, I spent most of Saturday playing with my new toy.

I have the Rebel XTi...and two 'very nice' lenses. Love this camera and I use it regularly to take photographs for commissioned portraits, still life setups, and to photograph my art. Yet, of late, it remains in my studio...just too big to keep with me all the time. I'm continually missing good photo ops.

I'm heading to NY in a couple of weeks to visit my daughter and grandson. I'm really looking forward to 'traveling light' with my new camera. I'm sure I will have more to say when I get home...for now, I'm excited with what I see.