Christmas at Vanderbeck Valley Farm

Do you love getting together for family gatherings, but hate cleaning up your house to host? Well, that problem has occurred the past couple years and I've been itching to celebrate Christmas with my cousins for years. So it was time to find an alternate for this holiday season.

Here comes in the Vanderbeck Valley Farm....

If you ever wanted to see a cute barn decked out in Christmas joy, this is the place!

Our family had a wonderful time in the barn celebrating family while enjoying a comfort food potluck, family games and a simple gift exchange. If you're ever out near Mount Angel or Scotts Mills in the countryside of Oregon and looking for something with a flair of country and comfort of home for an event, then contact Wendy at Vanderbeck Valley Farm!

Holiday Gift Ideas 2016

This post is for you.

It's time for the holidays and time to think about something unique and wonderful to give loved ones. Now, what to get some you care about, someone who has just about everything. Here are somethings I know, that might help you find the perfect gift.

Have you ever looked on Etsy? It may seem like a beast, but it supports small businesses, makers, creatives, and vintage collectors.

Do you know any outdoor loving person? I love being outdoors and handmade creations, so I thought you might like some of these items: 

Custom Metal Wall Art

Hand Printed Kitchen & Home Decor

Rustic Wooden Signs

Wanderlust Inspired Art

Nature & Wildlife Photographs

Nature Inspired Jewelry

Not only is there Esty to chose from, but local artists in your community who may not be on this popular site and instead have their own shop connected to their website.

All the above links are ones of my choosing and in no way was I paid to promote these specific creators.

Why I Taught Myself Photography

Weddings are memorable. Memories are captured within photographs.

This weekend I had the pleasure to attend my cousin's wedding. It was wonderful. The ceremony was just right. The dress and bouquet were exquisite. The loving smiles between bride and groom were priceless.

The main reason I taught myself photography was to capture the precious moments between loved ones.

Nearly five years ago was when special moments were lost for me, it was my wedding day. My very special day was mostly captured with under-exposed, out of focused, blurry images. Originally one of my best friends was going to cover the day. I trusted her to do a wonderful job, especially since she was a photography student. But a couple months before the big day, she moved. So, a family friend said that she would take photos for me. She had a DSLR and her husband borrowed my dad's DSLR to capture everything. This was the mistake. Just because someone has a DSLR doesn't mean that they understand what aperture is and how to maximize the camera's abilities with settings for the shutter speed and ISO - the exposure triangle.

This began my passion for photography. It's been two years since I've had my Canon Rebel and I shoot all manual, working the exposure triangle to its fullest. My mission is for everyone to have an affordable option to capture moments, be it family photos portraying their children growing up or one of those special days that you want to remember for a lifetime.

Now, I wasn't the photographer for this wedding, but I did have some fun with my 85mm lens, capturing the little moments I love. Someday, I would love to be involved with weddings; capturing the sweet moments between loved ones when they start their new chapter together. But for now, these photos are part of my gift to the start of the new chapter for this couple who are so in love.

Camping

Summer

Campfire

Stars

Crickets

I love camping in the summer. I didn't get out as much as I wanted to, but when I did it was great. I hope you had time to get outside and soak in the quiet of camping along a creek with the stars twinkling and crickets chirping.

Just a little peek of the photographs I've taken on a camping trip along the Breitenbush River.

Mount Hood Forest Buck | Hand Printed T-Shirt

Show off your PNW pride with this hand printed t-shirt. I worked on a more "sketchy" style which looks more true to my drawings. 

This is my third screen printing design. I actually used this one as a Christmas present (printed on tea towels) for my family. And now it will be available for you to order on a t-shirt!

You can order a shirt with this design until January 29/31. Then I will order the shirts, and start printing once I receive them. The approximate shipping dates will vary, but focused around February 29.

There are two options for ordering now:

1. EMAIL ME (EMAIL HERE) the style, color, and size of shirt(s) you want and your mailing address. Then I'll email you an invoice which you need to pay by Friday, January 29. The specific shirts you want will then be ordered, once they're received I will hand print Mt Hood Forest Buck on the front and Western Rose Studios logo on the back in black ink. And if all goes to plan, they will be shipped around Monday, February 29!

2. ETSY, yes, I'll post this also on Etsy. ORDER ON ETSY HERE. I set the limit to 25 orders on Etsy and will be stopping the listing on Sunday, January 31 at 9PM PST.

This is the ONLY chance for you to order. After this run of orders, the design will be washed away, never to be repeated the same. Truly limited edition, small batch, and handmade, making them even more special.

Here are your options:

Styles: Loose (men's/unisex crew), Fitted (women's crew), V-Cut (women's fitted v-cut)

Colors available for Loose and Fitted styles (left to right): Neutral, Silver, Blue, Pink, and Green

Colors available for V-Cut Style (left to right): Hot Pink, Stone, and White

Sizes and Pricing: 

Loose and Fitted Styles: Small $20, Medium $20, Large $20, X-Large $20, XX-Large $25, XXX-Large $28

V-Cut: Small $24, Medium $24, Large $24, X-Large $24, XX-Large $29

T-Shirts are 5 oz. 100% cotton high density fabric (Fruit of the Loom brand). Stone may be a poly/cotton blend.

Remember, you need to have the invoice paid by Friday, January 29 to secure a shirt just for you!

Self Portrait | Photography

Self Portrait 

Tokina 11-16mm lens on my Canon 

11mm  |  f3.2  |  1/20  |  ISO 100

You can't really tell, but I'm like a foot away from my lens. 

I went up to Multnomah Falls today after work. It was very windy driving up the Gorge on 84, but worth the trip! I got some great photos of Multnomah Falls (I'll share those later), but I'd have to say that this is my favorite photo out of the trip. I was planning to do a self portrait since last night with the iced over falls in the background, and I absolutely love how it turned out. Of course, this photo wouldn't have been possible without my trusty tripod. :-)

2016 Art Goals

Dwindling Light 

Tokina 11-16mm lens with my Canon

13mm  |  f/5.6  |  1/160  |  ISO 100

Jonsrud View Point

Welcome 2016!

2015, thank you for teaching me everything I need to use to make 2016 destined with excitement and adventures.

Last Christmas John gave me my beloved 85mm lens and this year I added a Tokina 11-16mm to the collection. It's hard to believe that it's been an entire year since then. And I've been improving with my photography with attending a waterfall workshop with Gary Randall and listening to Improve Photography's many podcasts, along with obsessing with Pinterest. ;-)

I've painted lots of new paintings this year, 12 of them for my solo show, Western Gold, 3 commissions, and 17 ornaments as special Christmas gifts for my collectors. I even created a couple stickers of some of my watercolor paintings. Now, I have more than enough original paintings the St. Paul Rodeo Art Show, so I'll be applying to more art events to set my art booth up at.

I've learned how to screen print and created a set up for at home. I've designed 3 screens already and one of them I made an edition of 25 tea towels (that was quite the production!). I also discovered that it's a lot easier to print in the coolness of the fall and winter versus the heat of the summer (something about ink drying too quickly ... imagine that, haha).

Here comes the part where I see if I fulfilled any of my goals for the year. Once I make my goals, I like never look at them through out the year. I just know what I want to do and don't need any reference.

My art goals for 2015 ...

1.) Post all my new paintings and in progress photos on my blog. Facebook is just the easy way to do it, but I want to make things more interesting. I'll continue to share my posts on Facebook and Twitter. Done, plus Instagram.

2.) Continue to enter more art shows, near and far. I didn't really fulfill this one.

3.) Have a solo art show. I had two solo shows! February at AntFarm and in November at Linn-Benton Community College.

4.) Have a booth at the St. Paul Rodeo Art Show. Yes!

5.) Attend an additional show (western/horse related) to sell my art. I went to Fiesta, I didn't sell anything but I did get some great painting reference photos.

6.) Explore more into photography. Definitely did that!

7.) Do a Kickstarter for my own booth set up. Kickstarter never approved my project, so I had to take out a loan. I do have my own amazing booth set up and I just had to buy a car it could fit in.

8.) Develop a looser style in the studio. Yes, my "sketchy" style has been created.

9.) Paint. Draw. Create. Always.

10.) Develop and expand Western Rose Studios. I started screen printing and it has been productive and I'll continue with it.

My art goals for 2016

1.) Book Photography Sessions - Families, Couples, Seniors, Pets.
2.) Have a booth at the St. Paul Rodeo Art Show
3.) Have a booth set up at: a Dog Show, Lavender Festival, Gresham Art Walk, Oktoberfest, Crafty Wonderland.
4.) Sell original watercolors.
5.) Enter paintings and photographs into local art shows.
6.) Design and sell screen printed tea towels and t-shirts.
7.) Post and sell items from Etsy along with my website.
8.) Design something amazing with my photography/paintings - maybe a book?
9.) Go to someplace like Yellowstone and photograph the wildlife with a super-telephoto (rented) lens.
10.) Find a house to live in and have a roomy studio.

Laura and Brandon | Wedding

Three and a half years ago was the last wedding I was at and it was my own wedding. It was a whirlwind of family, friends, and starting a new chapter in my life. It was in early January and the days leading up to it there was flooding and snow in Oregon, but on the day we were married it was a bluebird, sunny, slightly warm, January day. I know how overwhelming it can all be; you want to visit with everyone, your cheeks hurt from smiling, you want to dance the night away, and when it's all done you're exhausted from happiness.

This all happened again yesterday, but it was my cousin and her husband who celebrated their new chapter of marriage. Since mid-June it has been 80-90 degree weather, so unbearably hot. But yesterday it was an overcast cool day in the middle of July, no threat of rain for their outdoor reception. Her nieces adored her and she adores them (and Brandon adores them, too), everyone was smiling, the look in Laura and Brandon's eyes was misty with love, and looking through the photos I took of their reception just affirm the love they have for each other.

Now, this is the first time I've taken photos at a wedding, be it just the reception part, but I really look for all the little details (the artist in me) and wanted to capture them for Laura and Brandon. I wanted to take candid shots which was perfect since they were busy with a professional photographer who made sure they got all those taken care of. 

It's the little moments like these that I love. I hope you love them, too.

All these photos were taken with my Canon Rebel T3i with my 85mm 1.8 lens. It's my favorite lens and I shot everything in manual and the only editing I did to these was lightening the exposure as needed. 

There are no filters needed for love.

Three Years Ago ...

Three years ago I said, "I do." Before that we talked about future (near and far) and the one thing my husband insisted on was that we find an affordable, decent sized two bedroom apartment. I guess I married a smart one because he just knew that my art needed its own room.

Yes, I have a studio in our "second bedroom" and yet my art still spills out onto the dining room table and along the hallway floor lean framed paintings.

This week I've been cleaning ... cleaning is so deceiving because things ALWAYS get messier before it gets anywhere near clean. I've installed some new shelves, took down posters and hung up small framed originals (now they aren't all on the ground leaning against the twin sized bed) and I've been purging: keep, give away, sell, and toss.

I've rediscovered some nice little canvases (uh, oh, gotta do some acrylic paintings), linoleum squares (hey, I should carve up some stuff to print on future paper bags, that means I need to design a logo or something), lots of colored/toned paper (oooh, I should cut them down to the same size and make a sketch book) ... So much spinning in my head, but I. must. stay. on. task.

I need to downsize my obsessive collection of cardboard; it's kinda has a life of its own right now. I have a stack of WIP (works in progress) paintings that I should go through and rework. I have A LOT of stuff from years ago I need to list on EBay. I'll let you know when I cross that bridge ;-)

In a weeks time this WILL be a great, functioning studio ...

Art Goals for 2015!

A GIANT THANK YOU to everyone who have supported my art this past year! When you buy and original, giclée, or card, the money goes directly back into my art. This is how I pay for supplies, membership dues, show entry fees, and printing giclée prints and cards.

And this year I was so successful (because of YOU!) that I started my own LLC as Western Rose Studios. The skies the limit ... selling art at events, commissioned pieces, art shows, and some day down the road I could branch into having a studio gallery, teach classes, professional photography ... Stay tuned and follow along with the adventure!

Part 1

Please enjoy looking at all the paintings my collectors have bought or commissioned this past year:

Part 2

A year ago I made some goals for my art … let's see how I did.

1.) Get my art out there: contact western art gallery managers for representation/shows. I organized a group show at Caswell Gallery which is the closest (geographically) gallery to western art.

2.) Enter more shows and win awards, such as "Honorable Mention," "Best in Show," "People's Choice," etc. Entered and were submitted to both WSO shows! It's like an award in itself. Plus, Best of Show in Watercolor at the St. Paul Rodeo.

3.) Have my art in local shows (I'm actually having one in February at a community college down the street!) Yes!

4.) Have my art in a booth at the St. Paul Rodeo Art Show. Yes! And I'll be applying this year, too.

5.) Start advertising my Christmas ornaments (available for commissions) earlier in the year, such as early October, so that I don't have to turn people down due to being overbooked. They were a hit this year!

6.) Double the "likes" on my Facebook Artist Page which is currently at 213. Currently sitting at 320 people who follow my art on Facebook.

7.) Do plein air paintings/drawings with horses. I completed a couple little plein air paintings (and sold one) at the St. Paul Rodeo,

8.) For one month of the year do a "painting a day" project. I did that in March and it was freeing to have so many people support my art!

9.) Make more artsy friends. Yup!

10.) Continue accepting commissions in watercolor and pencil. Always!

Part 3

My art goals for 2015 ...

1.) Post all my new paintings and in progress photos on my blog. Facebook is just the easy way to do it, but I want to make things more interesting. I'll continue to share my posts on Facebook and Twitter.

2.) Continue to enter more art shows, near and far.

3.) Have a solo art show.

4.) Have a booth at the St. Paul Rodeo Art Show

5.) Attend an additional show (western/horse related) to sell my art.

6.) Explore more into photography.

7.) Do a Kickstarter for my own booth set up.

8.) Develop a looser style in the studio.

9.) Paint. Draw. Create.

10.) Develop and expand Western Rose Studios.

Happy New Year, Everyone! May 2015 be bright and bring you cheer all year long!