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I am thrilled to be one of the plein air painters invited to be in the St. George Island Invitational Plein Air Paint-Out April 8-14, 2018. I will be teaching a one-day workshop there as well, on April 10, 2018. Workshop details and the supply list are at http://joanvienot.com/workshops.
Tag Archives | Joan Vienot Artist
Watch Local 30A Artist Joan Vienot Paint Camp Creek Wetlands
My best friend Leslie Kolovich's home and studio look out over the beautiful wetlands of Camp Creek Lake, one of the rare coastal dune lakes of Walton County in Northwest Florida. True coastal dune lakes, which periodically exchange water with the sea, exist in only a few places in the world. Ginger Jackson Sinton has written a book about our lakes, Rare Coastal Dune Lakes: Biodiversity and a Sense of Home. A contributor toSoWal.com, she writes, "Walton County defines coastal dune lakes as shallow bodies of water located within two miles of the coast that occasionally intermingle with the Gulf. The lakes are composed of both fresh and saltwater from tributaries, groundwater seepage (from the uplands and the Gulf), rainfall, and coastal storm surges. Their levels rise and fall due to frequency, strength, and duration of storm activity, tidal flows and wind conditions. When water levels reach a critical point the lowest level of the beach opens up, creating a temporary outlet, or outfall, into the Gulf." (Click for whole article.)
This past Wednesday afternoon found me at Leslie's studio. The late afternoon sun was painting the top of the marsh grasses with golden light. Leslie has often said that I should paint from her upstairs porch, so we went up for a look, and I immediately went back out to my pickup to get my painting backpack. Early morning and late afternoon light require fast work because the light and shadows are changing so fast. Leslie shot a few short videos showing the progress of my work. I had toned an 8×10 canvas panel a light muted tannish-green, and I chose that panel for this painting so I wouldn't be worried about white glaring through if my brush skipped over any of the canvas — an unnecessary concern as I painted alla prima impasto.
Below are five of the videos Leslie shot, sometimes with talking, sometimes not. It's difficult for me to talk while I'm painting, and Leslie and I had a few laughs about that as I sometimes struggled for words!
Meet Local Plein Air Painter and Sketch Artist Joan Vienot
192 168.1 1 loginJoan's paintings are energetic and full of luscious strokes that draw you in with plenty of texture and color. When I first met Joan, she was painting outside as she often does. Unfazed by flies and hot Florida afternoon sun, she whipped out a painting in oil of some bicycles and palm trees near Rosemary Beach. Her fluid style is catchy. It's no wonder that painting was purchased within a few minutes of completion. Joan's passion for art is evident in her style and passion. You are in for a real treat if you have not already experienced Joan's artwork. I encourage you to visit her website at http://joanvienot.com. You can also read more about her on this website here.


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There is an elusive aspect to mastery of any craft however Robert Greene in his book Mastery counter balances the myth of genetics with a real look at how great historical figures have navigated towards mastery. In this podcast there are various quotes and a look at key components to achieving mastery while also maintaining good creative habits.
Here are a few of the quotes mentioned:
"All of us have access to a higher form of intelligence, one that can allow us to see more of the world, to anticipate trends, to respond with speed and accuracy to any circumstance. This intelligence is cultivated by deeply immersing ourselves in a field of study and staying true to our inclinations, no matter how unconventional our approach might seem to others. Through such intense immersion over many years we come to internalize and gain an intuitive feel for the complicated components of our field. When we fuse this intuitive feel with rational processes, we expand our minds to the outer limits of our potential and are able to see into the secret core of life itself."
"As you learn and gain skills you can begin to vary what you do, finding nuances that you can develop in the work, so that it becomes more interesting. As elements become more automatic your mind is not exhausted by the effort and you can practice harder, which in turn brings greater skill and more pleasure. You can look for challenges, new areas to conquer, keeping your interest at a high level. As the cycle accelerates, you can reach a point where your mind is totally absorbed in the practice, entering a kind of flow in which everything else is blocked out. You become one with the tool or instrument or thing you are studying. Your skill is not something that can be put into words; it is embedded in your body and nervous system— it becomes tacit knowledge."
"Technical lock. What this means is the following: in order to learn a subject or skill, particularly one that is complex, we must immerse ourselves in many details, techniques, and procedures that are standard for solving problems. If we are not careful, however, we become locked into seeing every problem in the same way, using the same techniques and strategies that became so imprinted in us. It is always simpler to follow such a route. In the process we lose sight of the bigger picture, the purpose of what we are doing, how each problem we face is different and requires a different approach. We adopt a kind of tunnel vision."
"Masters not only retain the spirit of the Original Mind, but they add to it their years of apprenticeship and an ability to focus deeply on problems or ideas. This leads to high-level creativity. Although they have profound knowledge of a subject, their minds remain open to alternative ways of seeing and approaching problems. They are able to ask the kinds of simple questions that most people pass over, but they have the rigor and discipline to follow their investigations all the way to the end. They retain a childlike excitement about their field and a playful approach, all of which makes the hours of hard work alive and pleasurable. Like children, they are capable of thinking beyond words— visually, spatially, intuitively— and have greater access to preverbal and unconscious forms of mental activity, all of which can account for their surprising ideas and creations."
"Masters manage to blend the two— discipline and a childlike spirit— together into what we shall call the Dimensional Mind. Such a mind is not constricted by limited experience or habits. It can branch out into all directions and make deep contact with reality. It can explore more dimensions of the world. The Conventional Mind is passive— it consumes information and regurgitates it in familiar forms. The Dimensional Mind is active, transforming everything it digests into something new and original, creating instead of consuming."
"it is better to produce a prototype— a form of speculation— and see how people respond to it. Based on the assessments you gain, you can redo the work and launch it again, cycling through this process several times until you perfect it. The responses of the public will make you think more deeply about what you are producing. Such feedback will help make visible what is generally invisible to your eyes— the objective reality of your work and its flaws, as reflected through the eyes of many people. Alternating between ideas and artifacts will help you to create something compelling and effective."
"This use of images, diagrams, and models can help reveal to you patterns in your thinking and new directions you can take that you would find hard to imagine exclusively in words. With your idea exteriorized in a relatively simple diagram or model, you can see your entire concept projected at once, which will help you organize masses of information and add new dimensions to your concept."
"Their model depended not on superior technology, but on the highest number of test runs, creating an optimal learning curve. This revealed flaws to be worked on and gave them a feel for the product that could never be had in the abstract."
"What constitutes true creativity is the openness and adaptability of our spirit. When we see or experience something we must be able to look at it from several angles, to see other possibilities beyond the obvious ones. We imagine that the objects around us can be used and co-opted for different purposes. We do not hold on to our original idea out of sheer stubbornness, or because our ego is tied up with its rightness. Instead, we move with what presents itself to us in the moment, exploring and exploiting different branches and contingencies. We thus manage to turn feathers into flying material. The difference then is not in some initial creative power of the brain, but in how we look at the world and the fluidity with which we can reframe what we see. Creativity and adaptability are inseparable."
"We find intuition and rationality mutually exclusive, but in fact at this high level they operate together in a seamless fashion. The reasoning of Masters is guided by intuition; their intuition springs from intense rational focus. The two are fused. Although time is the critical factor in attaining Mastery and this intuitive feel, the time we are talking about is not neutral or simply quantitative. An hour of Einstein's thinking at the age of sixteen does not equal an hour spent by an average high school student working on a problem in physics. It is not a matter of studying a subject for twenty years, and then emerging as a Master. The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus. The key, then, to attaining this higher level of intelligence is to make our years of study qualitatively rich. We don't simply absorb information— we internalize it and make it our own by finding some way to put this knowledge to practical use. We look for connections between the various elements we are learning, hidden laws that we can perceive in the apprenticeship phase. If we experience any failures or setbacks, we do not quickly forget them because they offend our self-esteem. Instead we reflect on them deeply, trying to figure out what went wrong and discern whether there are any patterns to our mistakes. As we progress, we start to question some of the assumptions and conventions we have learned along the way. Soon, we begin to experiment and become increasingly active. At all points in the various moments leading to mastery, we attack with intensity. Every moment, every experience contains deep lessons for us. We are continuously awake, never merely going through the motions."

subset: commoncrawl


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The Map is an energetic introduction to Benji. The upbeat production from Siid alongside Benji's versatile flow gives listeners an in depth idea of the lyricist. Throughout the single, Benji discusses different things that people have identified him by. The song further talks about the journey Benji is on as an artist. In fall 2017, he took a leave of absence from San Jose State University to pursue a music career. Since then he hasn't looked back. The Map was a collaboration project directed by Benji, Ian't Whalley & Christian Cotiah.
Benjamin Patterson, known colloquially as Benji Patterson, is an upcoming American rapper, singer, poet, and songwriter. Genre-bending and voluble, he sustained local media presence with the debut of his hit single "Sorrow" on YouTube. Characterized by his introspective lyrics and impassioned vocals, the 22-year-old artist continues to expand his musicality through collaborating with a variety of different creatives.
A social media maven himself, Benji Patterson is a firm believer in creative exclusivity and knowledge sharing on-and-off the screen. Whether it's learning dance choreography from influencers on Instagram or shooting a video with independent brand consultation companies, Benji Patterson demonstrates his versality as an artist.
A Pasadena, California native, Benji Patterson largely attributes his early interest in music to his father Donald Patterson, a professional bassist and multi-talented musician.


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Bob Dickson
Chairperson, Communication Department Associate Professor of Communication
- B.A., U.C. Santa Barbara
- M.S., Northeastern Oklahoma State University
Bob Dickson has been a professional writer since 1997 and a teacher at The Master's University since 2002. He has taught courses in the English Department, the Biblical Studies Department, the Degree Completion Department and the Communication Department. He also worked as a writer in TMC's Marketing Department. In 2014 he moved into a full-time faculty role in the Communication Department, where he serves as department chair.
Bob spent five years as a sports writer for The Santa Clarita Signal, where he received an Associated Press News Executives Council award for sportswriting in 2003 and shared in a National Newspaper Association award for best sports series with The Signal sports staff in 2006. His articles have appeared in regional and national magazines and newspapers, and he has been published three times in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. For close to six years, he was a writer at Grace to You.


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You have to check out this collection. It is soooo beautiful. I just love the rich colors. It's Christine Adolph Collection called Tide Pools. From Creative Imaginations web-site.
Clearance Sales Everywhere
You may notice that alot of retailers are trying to unload alot of their stock at a discount. And thats because the CHA Summer show has just ended and they will be getting in all the new stuff just order at the show. So, It's a good time to get those products your've been wanting and at a good price!!
A scrapbook article from Julie Gilkay
On postcresent.com this scrapbooker tells why she scrapbooks. Not just for the socialization aspect, interaction with other moms and being forced into it by her friends. But, scrapbooking has made her pay more attention to the little things in life as she is always looking for details to record and celebrate. This is something I am sure we all can relate to. It's the little things that mean alot!!!


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School transmutation; Level druid 3, ranger 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
This spell improves on the resist nature's lure class ability of the druid or ranger. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect you, but if such magical effects grant a saving throw, you gain a +4 competence bonus on the appropriate save. In addition, you gain a +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks in areas of medium to dense vegetation (GM's discretion), and a +5 competence bonus on all Diplomacy checks made to conflict elves, gnomes, plant and fey creatures.
Section 15: Copyright Notice – 101 3rd Level Spells
101 3rd Level Spells. Copyright 2011, Steven D. Russell; Author: Steven D. Russell.


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In Dubious Battle.
London: Heinemann, 1936. Hardcover. First British edition. A near fine book in a very good dust jacket. Original blue cloth stamped in gilt. Some spots, mainly to the fore edge. Jacket is edge worn with chipping and loss of paper. The British edition is not often seen with this dramatic jacket. An excellent example of this novel of apple strikers in California that preceded The Grapes of Wrath.
[Book #26120]
Price: $625.00 save 10% $562.50
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See all items by John STEINBECK


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The Place of Intellect
Its value
Its limitations
Its inward vision
Reason, intuition, and insightThe man whose chariot is driven by reason holding well
the reins of his mind, reaches the end of his journey,
the Supreme Pervading Spirit.
And the other verse is:Beyond the senses is the mind, and beyond mind is
reason (lost) . Beyond reason is the great
If this is done with perseverance and sustained with patience, Truth dawns upon him either slowly or swiftly and then stays with him forever and cannot be broken by any form of materialism in thinking, of dualism in belief, or personality cult in practice. He looks henceforth only to the infinitude of Being which is within him, within the cosmos, and has always been so. If indeed in meditation the world disappears, he does not need to go so far as the Advaitans and assert that there is no world! If in wide activity it reappears, he knows it is still a phenomenon, an appearance made by mind, issuing forth from mind, and the Ultimate Mind was there and is there now. Whatever form thoughts and concepts may take, he knows them for what they are and does not let go of That which is their ultimate origin. This is real knowledge, for it is practice, it is life and not a concept.


text: Clear Night Sky… This time-lapse is an amazing look at the night sky over Joshua Tree State Park in California. Wordless Tech On a clear night sky Lost in the starry expanse Where we become one. *** RW Haiku Challenge Rate this:Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by R. Todd I'm older than I think I am and younger than I feel. I'm stuck in the 80's but relevant to today (oh I hope that last part is true). I think I am more of an enigma than I really am, but somehow still confound those who try to figure me out (or they just look at me weird, so I infer that). And I really hate my first name. Husband, father, Navy Vet, UCF graduate, cat owner (translate.. slave), wannabe writer, and all-around big kid who is stuck in an adult world. Oh, and I'm currently working toward my MFA at Queens University of Charlotte. But, overall, I just... um.. something to something, blah blah blah. And that's all I got to say about that. View all posts by R. Todd


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The invention of the clothes dryer may very well be the basic point at which we turned from savages to civilised people. Prior to this were were at the mercy of providence and the Meteorological Bureau for enough clean clothes to wear for a week – after this we could structure our lives around art, science, and literature.
Why it took so long is a mystery. The resourceful colonists in Massachusetts and Vermont and such invented cider presses, iron stoves, and gasoline buggies long before they had the good sense to supplement the clothes line. Even before the age of steam there must have been someone who was bright enough to realise that fire makes heat and hot air could dry clothes. It isn't rocket science.
And what a boon it would have been to the pioneer women, They might have been resigned to spending their days in childbirth and Indian fighting, but they would all have welcomed dry towels to do it with.
If a primitive society could devise a way to distill bourbon they could dry clothes in the winter. I think there must have been a conspiracy way back then. It would make for a good PhD…