Denthe has invited me to play along in her blog hop.... and to answer the following questions:
Here goes...

1. How does my creative process work?

let's see, it's harder than one would think to describe something you never even think about. Plus my process changes regularly.

Mostly I paint at work on my lunch hour on breaks from my day job. Painting at home doesn't happen too much because of my son. Autism and paint do not always mix. He doesn't enjoy painting and doesn't understand why i am doing it. He doesn't like things out of place or most messes.

At work,  I can pull out a piece to work on and put it away after 15-30 minutes...
that's mainly why I do watercolors as opposed to acrylics.

I am inspired by everything... nature, flowers, rocks, bees, bugs, mushrooms, little girls, ladies, color, music, water, quotes... I am mostly painting whatever I feel like at the moment without too much regard for what someone else might want to have hanging on their wall. and I am constantly trying new areas...

here's my little space at work...

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

 I don't know how to answer this one as I am actually unaware what genre I fit into.... I don't see many other falling ladies being painted out there. Of course I have moved onto mandalas, and flowers and rocks....with just the occasional falling lady now.

3. What am I working on now?

 I am trying to loosen up with my watercolors, Instead of always outlining all my sketches or adding lines in my mandala, i want to try more light and free looking pieces. I like the simple, alla prima style and want to give up some of my pattern and detail, and lose the overworked feeling to some of my pieces.  I have  a few to show you by next week I hope.

I am also working on a novel I mentioned awhile ago, about 20 started paintings, my sketchbooks, 2 different children's books with illustrations, more rocks and jewelry, and whatever pops into my head at the moment. I also have  a bunch of needlefelting projects and crafts I would love to do.

4. Why do I create what I do?

Easy...

I simply make what feels good at the time to make....

OR

whatever is nagging at my thoughts enough I simply NEED to get it out into daylight!


you can read Denthe's answers by clicking here. We think alot alike creatively.

interview giveaway!

So on wednesday I posted my answers to Amy's interview, go check it out if you missed it...http://fallingladies-fallingladies.blogspot.com/2011/10/amys-interview.html

and now like I promised I have another interview that I want you all to play along with... and as incentive... I'm having a giveaway to celebrate over 100 followers and almost 100 posts... here's some of what 3 people randomly drawn  could get in the mail just for cutting and pasting the interview and answering my questions...

                                                A pendant made from one of my watercolors...

   An ACEO

Don't hold me to that literally as far as the ACEO goes as I may not be able to locate the original so it may be a different one...
                                                                       And ................
                there will also be an 8x10 print of one of my falling ladies,

So here's too much info about me...

1. What should you be doing right now instead of sitting on the computer?

                    Getting in the shower to get ready for work.

2. What's the messiest area of your house? and dare you to show us...

                    My closet is totally a mess, clothes everywhere and tons of beaded necklaces   and scarves hanging... but that part actually looks pretty.

                                                     
3. 5 simple things that make you happy right now, above and beyond the obvious like your family and your health...

                  1.) A rose my husband brought me last week (I sketched, painted and photographed)

                  2.) Wind blowing leaves off the trees
                  3.) CANDY PUMPKINS

                  4.) Messy or used paint brushes

                  5.) Crows in the road

4. When did you last cry?

                 I cry easy and often, but the last time was when my husband called me at work from home as he gets home before me and cooks fancy gourmet meals, (Yes, you ARE jealous right now, I know!) and he puts my son on the phone...
                Many of you know my son is autistic and even though he repeats what we say sometimes, or repeats lines from movies or even rarer asks for what he wants, he's still considered nonverbal as he doesn't initiate conversation... so my husband says to him, "tell mommy you love her", and my son said..."love you... foreber". ...... I could cry again typing this.

5. Favorite book...

                Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

6. How many pets...

                We have 2 cats and a bunch of fish is all right now. This is Tyrone, he used to be Peabody but then became Tyrone when we put him outside for peeing all over the house. He needed a tougher name and actually became the leader of a street gang who he shares his food with, and they've learned to hunt in a pack... a truly scary thing to watch. He was eatting a  squirrel 2 minutes before this photo.

                And here's BobDole, his mom, whom he hates.

7. 2 Goals... one huge and unrealistic one,  and one achieveable one...

                 I want to quit my day job, earn $100,000 with my art so we can get a cabin in the woods with a big pond, big enough to have a tiny little island on it. The island only needs to be big enough for an adirondack chair and a beach umbrella so I can sit out there and sketch. I originally wanted an arched bridge to it but that wouldn't keep the kids away now would it! (So I'll paddle to it in a canoe I keep hidden.)

                And 2nd: I want to lose 30 pounds by Christmas, You might think that's more unrealistic than the cabin and pond, but I think I can do it, with yoga  and taichi and no more candy corn!

8. 5 things in your purse besides money and a cell phone...

             My mini sketchbook
             a little silver frog to remind me of frog magic and water!
             Burt's bees lipstick, the only makeup I wear.
             3 or 4 hair thingy's
             my camera

9. The emotion or feeling you hate the most...

             Guilt... I avoid guilt at all costs by trying to do the right thing but it still doesn't work, I feel guilty about everything,I feel guilty I haven't done enough for  the rest of my family because of the autism, I feel guilty I haven't cured my son (I KNOW), I feel guilty for driving too fast, eatting too much junk since then I won't be healthy enough to live forever for him, I feel guilty for feeling guilty , good lord!

10. If you could have 50 pounds of anything except money or gold what would you want?

              Glitter, not to use in art, but just to roll in or toss in the air! can you imagine!




OK so now it's your turn, cut and paste to your blog, make a post and link it up here...You've got a month,till November 20th... then I'll draw names from everyone who played along!
and since I did include some art I feel justified in linking to paintparty friday,creative everyday, whimsical wednesday, maybe even creative fridays and fiberart friday.

For some reason I can't get the linky to go on the bottom of the post so I put it on the top of my blog, which is good as it'll stay there anyway...
   

Amy's interview

Amy over at   http://butterscape.blogspot.com/
interviewed herself awhile and others have been joining in and interviewing themselves with her questions... so I had to keep up with the Joneses... here's mine...

1. what is your name and stuff? and any other good information. like bank account details.

Andrea.... but my old friends and family still call me Deane, which is my middle name... I had a teacher in highschool who called me Deanie Bopper and licked his fingers then wiped them on my glasses!

 2. what is super hot about you? <--- don't you Dare skip this one.  answer it.

My husband says it's my eyes, so If you don't agree just please keep it to yourself as I have no self esteem to speak of.

3.  don't lie or cheat: what is under your couch right now?

A crumb eatting monster, which is good as my son pretty much always eats on one end of the couch so there's always crumbs there..

4.  when was the last time you shaved your legs?

Yesterday morning, I'm pretty good about being regular with that.

5.  what did you have for breakfast?

2 pieces of whole wheat toast with 2 different kinds of jelly: one quince and one raspberry honey that I bought at the farmer's market. I normally drink a green smoothie before work weekdays though... green wheat grass powder or fresh kale, a banana, and pineaplle chunks and water... looks gross but is so sweet!
Actually this one has strawberries instead of my normal pineapple added, so it looks more brown than green!

6. if you could choose a new name, what would you name yourself?
Anastasia Mirabelle Blue Potite and I'd have a southern accent but look Asian, and I'd skip everywhere I went, and butterflies would follow me.

7.  have you ever had plastic surgery?
Nope. But liposuction would be good!

8. are you afraid of the dark?
A little, you can check out the previous post ...
where I sacred myself in the dark. It's not the dark though, it's that there could be creepy people hiding in the dark with the ability to see better than me, just lurking and waiting...

9. are you a hermit?

well I do like to be alone, but that could just be because I am NEVER alone. With 4 kids the house is always full even though they're older and I just never get to be by myself.  So at work on my lunch I search out quiet lonely places, the cemetary, the park that overlooks the town (not too many people go there), or a pulloff by the river, so I can sit and see the water, water being another thing I love. So relaxing...


10.  why do you blog?

I started because I had the Etsy shop and thought it would be good for that, but I really do it because like some others have said, you guys all seem to get me better than the people I see everyday. Most of my co-workers are NOT a creative bunch, they don't usually understand about needing to paint or wanting to be alone, but I know you all will get that. My husband and kids don't really even get me... they're jocks and even though I played soccer many many years ago I just am not competetive (that can't possible be spelled right), and they are the most competetive people I know. They  laugh at, oops I meant "with" me for not being able to say the correct noun in sentences or stumbling over words, but when your head is drifting around because you're painting the scenery in your head it's hard to hold down a logical conversation. My mom is like me though, she'll read this and understand I bet...but really not too many other people I see regularly.



And now that leads me to the first Mr. Linky I've ever gotten. I want to do an interview with 10 more questions,  Just like Amy did but with more questions, even harder ones....... I'll answer them first then you all can copy and paste them, and answer in words, photos, art, words AND photos etc....
and I want to get a bunch of people to play along, answer the questions yourself then link it up to the page I'll keep special on the top of my blog, I'll actually give people about a month to do it so there's no rush... just don't leave me all feelling like the last person picked on the kickball team again. I'll start this  friday... I hope to have a page up by then with the questions and a Mr. Linky. .... since I just had over 100 followers recently, plus I'm almost at my 100th post... I think it's time for a giveaway with this. On friday hopefully I'll post some art for a giveaway or would you all rather have a pendant? anyway, anyone who does the interview that I put up friday will be entered and you've got a whole month to play along so come back friday!
So Say you'll play along, OK?


oh, and I guess I forgot to include any art for the what's on your workdesk wednesday crowd... this is on my desk but it was on my lap in the park when I made it... ... it's a sketch of the ground in front of me on my lunch hour...