Monday, September 8, 2008

. . . grew older overnight



Yep, today's my birthday. Thanks, Mom, for having me. And don't think for a moment that I really look like this, because I don't and I won't. Short of surgery, I'll keep trying everything to "look good for my age." I don't really feel like I'm any older, because for this entire year I have told people that I was 58, when I was really only 57. I got confused. . .


My kids came through for me again. They gave me an IPOD dock to go along with the IPOD they gave me for Mother's Day, so now I don't have to plug in the little earbuds to hear my music. It is a cunning little circular thing about the size of a flour tortilla, but thicker. The sound is amazing for such a little thing. Very portable, can take it with me almost anywhere. Love it. Thanks, kids, for being such good kids.


My sister is supposed to come to town today and we will go have lunch and maybe shop a little. I know my mom will call me, and so will my other sister in Michigan. I doubt that my brothers will give my birthday any thought at all. . . that's why sisters are the best.


On the art front, I purchased a DVD, "Inkjet Transfer Techniques: Gelatin and Gel Transfer Processes for Alternative Photography and Fine Art" by Bonny Pierce Lhotka, put out by Digital Art Studio Seminars. The processes all look like great fun and the possibilities for using my digitals photographs in new ways are intriguing. The only problem is that you need to use special inkjet film to produce the results, and that stuff is EXPENSIVE. Plus you have to use certain printers with certain inks, or have your photographs printed by a lab or something. One of the processes uses Purell Hand Sanitizer. . . amazing that someone would have thought to use that product.


Also, being old and all, I have avoided for the most part anything on You Tube, but this weekend I discovered that there are all sorts of art demonstrations on it. . . I enjoyed watching some of them and loved how these artists are all experimenters and embrace the randomness of art. I must loosen up. . .

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have a great day. You don't look or act 57, or is it 58, at all. After 50 no one cares anyway.
Will talk to you soon.
H - hildymouse.....

Laura said...

Happy, Happy Birthday!
Always wished I had a sister instead of just 3 brothers.

p said...

have a great day!
i'll be 47 soon and I too have thought I was 47 already
the goal is to forget it all
the birthday the age...
it gives me great hope that you are a decade older and have made a splash in ny!

Linda Blondheim said...

Have a great birthday. We are forever young at least in our minds and hearts.
Love,
Linda Blondheim
http://lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com

Mary Buek said...

Thank you, everyone, for the birthday wishes. Birthdays just add numbers to you age, but my sister and I have talked about this before: we still feel like we're 16. Inside we haven't changed that much. I'm ridiculously healthy and my fervant hope is that I stay that way to enjoy fully the rest of my life. By the way, Paula, haven't made that splash yet. . .

Gina said...

Happy Belated Birthday, Mary!

For transfers, I've had good luck (finally!) using Liquitex acrylic gloss medium and using toner copies not ink jet. Also, there are new products by Golden to make ink jet copies archival and fade-resistant. Cheaper than replacing your printer and having to buy archival inks!

Mary Buek said...

Gina, the DVD had projects that looked like so much fun. It involved making frescoes and acrylic skins and transferring photos onto them using the specially treated film. I had been wondering about acrylic skins, and now I know.

Gina said...

That DOES sound like a great DVD, Mary! Acrylic skins sound so intriguing; I haven't used them yet myself. If you experiment, I hope you'll blog about it!

Have you read "Acrylic Revolution" by Nancy Reyner? She has many interesting techniques, usually reduced to a page each.

Seth said...

Happy Birthday Mary! Hope this will be a whole month of celebration.