Janet's House

Happy New Year

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything here, but I’ve certainly thought about it a lot.  I’ve been busy making pillows, and am especially enjoying dying and making my favorite Indigos.  I have also loved getting to know Instagram better, and any of you who follow me there can probably tell that I am really quite smitten.  I love looking at and learning how to be a better photographer by observing what I like and why.

 

I’ve realized that I’m quite visual in how I learn and what I like to do, which is why Instagram appeals to me so much.  I’m not snapping a picture of every latte I drink, and there’s never been a selfie, and there never will be.  I’ve mostly enjoyed challenges presented, often in themes.  Someone will offer a challenge to anyone who cares to enter, and it’s a choice to give it a try or not.  No prizes, awards, or particular notoriety. Just a challenge to myself to try something new and work to do my best.  Like my daddy always said: If you’re going to do something, do it well.

This is a recent contribution to the theme of Crockery.  I took my time to get each photo just right and then fit them into the rules of a 3 X 3 grid.  Instagram pictures are always square, so that can sometimes be a challenge in itself.  Trying to get the perfect sunset as a square is pretty tricky.

If you have a smart phone, I encourage you to join Instagram.  It’s a free downloadable app for use with your phone or iPad. You can just follow favorite artists, friends, or whomever (even celebrities).  You can remain completely private and never post a single photo, yet enjoy some of the beauty of photographers from around the world.  I follow a number of IG’ers from Australia and I love seeing their photos with the opposite of our seasons.  Their photos are the first ones I see in the morning due to our time difference.

To encourage you and let you see what I’ve been up to,  here are a selection of a recent theme I started.  I had such fun setting up my ‘Color for Today’ ideas, and became a bit obsessive as I wandered the house and cupboards for my specific color of the day.  I chose to take the photos from the top down, adding a new challenge to myself. Things definitely look different from above.

 

 

 

 

Instagram doesn’t just offer filters to suddenly make a photographer out of everyone.  The filters are fun and can enhance and fine tune things, but I think I’ve gotten better by practicing and by having my phone available to me for any opportunity.   

If you decide to join the party, you can find me at Janet Brown Studios. It’s all just for fun and can give you pretty pictures to look at when you’re standing in a too long line, or waiting for a friend.  If you see a photo you love, you simply tap the little ‘like’ button under the picture, letting the person know. You can also leave them a comment. It’s all quite simple and I find it very user friendly. Hope to see you there!

Photographs of Spring

Here are a few photos that I’ve taken recently.  Each one makes me feel good and think about the wonderful things in my life.  I hope you enjoy them.

This guy has certainly found his passion

 

 

The National Bison Range in Montana, near Missoula.  Kind of makes you want to twirl around and sing the theme to The Sound of Music, doesn't it?

 

 A peaceful walk on the beach sets everything right.

 

 

While on my morning walk I spotted a couple of guys trimming someone’s dogwood tree.  I asked if I could take a branch and then went home and picked the white and green flowers growing in my own garden.  I love finding the perfect companion flowers as I add to my garden. I love my Glassbaby candle too. Check out their website here

 

Last month on Instagram I enjoyed doing a month of ‘Shelfies’, where I took a photo everyday of something gathered from around my house.  This shot included my mother’s old French textbook along with her favorite quotes from Pablo Picasso.  The enamaled 28 is a favorite piece of mine.

I’ve been taking lots of pictures lately and really enjoy learning the details to a good photograph.  It continues to remind me to look for and appreciate the beauty around me.  Remember, you can always follow along by joining Instagram if you have a smart phone (find me at Janet Brown Studios). The app is free and you don’t have to take pictures unless you want to.  You can just enjoy the journey.

 

Happy June Everyone!

How To Enjoy Instagram

I’ve been having fun with Instagram lately.  Instagram is a social photo-sharing app for your android or iPhone.  You simply download the free app and then take and share pictures with other users.  Some people use it to promote the creativity of their business and others use it to track their day and keep in touch.  I think of it like Twitter with pictures or Facebook without the social commentary.  You can add a few words or caption your pictures if you wish.  I find it fun and I enjoy following several people who take beautiful photos during their day.

          This is a view of my profile page

The idea is to take the picture with the Instagram app but you can also transfer photos from your photo library already on your phone. The point is to be spontaneous and keep your photos current rather than digging through your old pictures.  There are different filters that allow you to adjust or highlight the picture and every photo is cropped to a tidy little square.  You can add hash tags (#) which add the ability to sort and search for other pictures.  For instance, if you like to take pictures of flowers, you can add #flowers to your caption.  This allows other Instagram users to search #flowers and find your photo.  If you take photos on your travels, include your location and add a hash tag like #LA or #Paris and you’ll share your photos with users searching those locations.

To get started, you download the app,  provide a brief profile and then begin taking photographs.  To follow others you simply search user names (including your favorite celebrities or bloggers) or you can search by hash tags to find areas of interest. Instagram offers a few etiquette guidelines. If you’re interested, click here and here The basics are:

• Keep the posts to about one a day
• Don’t overdo the hash tag use
• Take interesting photos
• Have fun

Give it a try. If you’d like to follow me, type Janet Brown Studios into the Instagram search queue.  You’ll find a link to Instagram over in the column on the right.  If you haven’t yet joined me on Facebook, you can click on that link too.

                                                                                                              See you there!

Embracing the Gray

Gray has been on my mind a lot lately, mostly in paint and fabric swatches, but also in the dreary rain here in the northwest.  As with the moodiness of the weather, the gray can affect moods and temperaments in people.  I decided to take a drive and capture some beauty in the gray so I could come back feeling refreshed and ready to work.

I drove up in the hills to get a good look at the homes and areas that can literally stay in the clouds all day long.  I like how you can see the layers of gray and green tones in all the trees as they fade away in the fog.

         A muddy lane becomes intriguing in the wet, cool afternoon. I must admit, everything is also very green.

I do love the color gray, even if I find it difficult to embrace the weather. I find I’m wearing more gray than black and I love the way it works with other colors. Even today, I looked down and I had layered my two favorite coats for my journey.

On New Years Day I could be found painting my living room, gray, of course. I was worried that it would end up looking like a stormy day, but on the contrary, I think it looks fresh and wonderful. I love it with the white accents and wood tones.

I’m remembering this beautiful, easy to knit gray cowl I made a couple of years ago. Click here for the link to that post.

I’m cutting squares of this wonderful gray canvas  for a new line of pillows.  A reflection of our love for wine. Just for fun. It’s off to the screen printers tomorrow, then I’ll stitch them up and share the finished product in about three weeks.

So there it is, todays reflections on gray…or grey?? Either way they say, but I’ll stay with ‘gray’. I just like the way it looks.

Saturday in the Park

This fountain is one of my favorites. It’s in the same area as the Beaverton Farmers Market. The water dances as kids of all ages run through it, never quite dodging the spray and probably not really wanting to.

 

 

 

Rainer Cherries were everywhere. A cool spring was good to this crop.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band played on

 

 

 

 

 

 

                Have a great weekend!!

Independence Day 2011

Our neighborhood has a 4th of July parade every year. It’s a bit like stepping back into the 50’s or 60’s which is probably when it originated.  The neighborhood kids decorate their bikes, wagons and even their dogs.

 

 

Friends and neighbors visit while the parade assembles.  A fire truck joins and helps escort the entrants as the parade  serpentines through the neighborhood toward the park.

 

 

 

Parade watchers along the route set out chairs to cheer on the participants.

 

 

 

I love a good old touch of Americana. Whatever you do to celebrate today…

        Enjoy!!

Picture Walk

I took a picture walk today. I’ve never done this before but I walk the dogs every day and have enjoyed watching everything come alive this spring. Today I took my camera with me and snapped away at whatever I saw.   

            

I felt a little weird of course; maybe someone was watching and wondering what I was up to. I’m pretty sure I didn’t look too ominous though, as I really do walk around this neighborhood every day. The sun was out, the sky was blue and everything looked lit up.

           

It gave me the opportunity to find something at every turn, to really appreciate and think about what was capturing my attention. The flowers were bright and bold and after a lovely weekend, most yards were groomed and ready to receive attention.  

 
It was a fun way to take a walk. Give it a try. If you want to see the rest of the photos from my walk, click here.

Lens365

Last week I began a new discipline.  I am going to take a photograph every day. Not to worry, I won’t be posting them on my blog everyday, unless of course it’s today and I find my picture amusing…or soulful…or poignant …or, well, you get the idea; you will be seeing the photographs from time to time.  I’m taking on this new project to learn more about how to take a good quality photograph. I’m learning the techniques of cropping, resizing and downloading as well as the artistic properties of photography. If you would like to see my photos you’re welcome to visit the link to the right called Lens365.

I am sensing the same eagerness and anxiety in the process of photography that I do in writing. I’ve already found that when I’m looking for things to photograph I sometimes feel a little bit frantic; trying to find the perfect thing; something that will define the day for me. I have to insist to myself that in order to enjoy this development, it has to be fun. Some days the perfect photo will find me, other days I’ll take a picture of something that shows no imagination or is so cliché that it bores me. So what?? That’s day to day life isn’t it? My goal is to evolve, so that my photos will show more imagination and spirit which will be a reflection of how I look at life. I will also learn more about the art of photography and the expertise involved to get a really first-rate photograph. Once again I find myself realizing that I truly learn by doing.

Since a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, I will use very few if any words to describe each picture. Sometimes a caption will be meant to leave a question in your head, rather than answer one. Other times, I hope it will help to amuse or enlighten, but never actually explain the photo. In writing I search for the right words to define what I’m attempting to make clear, whereas in photography you will see the picture and come to your own conclusion on whether you like it or not.

I suggest that everyone find the discipline to something they enjoy everyday. We all seem to put off the things we want to do for the things we should do. We work, we go to the grocery store, we do laundry, we ferry kids, etc, and always wish we had the time to read, knit, write, bake, sew, photograph, etc. Hmmm, what’s wrong with this concept??  We are all guilty of using our down time to play on the computer or watch TV. What if we took just 30 minutes a day to do something we wanted to do? Something when completed is tangible.  Put down the remote and pick up your knitting. Get off the phone and plant a garden. Pick up the camera and find something to photograph. Write about your day; the good, the bad and even the ugly. Being creative always clears the head of useless debris.

Begin now, even in the middle of the month. It doesn’t have to be a New Years resolution. It can be a Spring Resolve. Do something for yourself!