Thursday, September 29, 2016

Updates and Good Reads

Good afternoon friends. I hope that this is finding you all doing well, happy and healthy. It's been a bit since my last post...I am sorry for that. Up until yesterday, I am not afraid to say that I have been struggling a bit. It's been a difficult road for me to put the events of the last month behind me. I just have not been able to find a way to let go of my sadness over my Dads passing, but something clicked yesterday. I am actually not sure what it was, however, I am feeling better. This is not over by a long shot, I know. My Mom reminded me that this is all very fresh and we all grieve in different ways. I have found that to be true in the last few days. I haven't been alright...not by a long shot. Having said that, I really haven't told anyone that except for a small group of people. By small, I mean, 3. So, I am sure that I have looked odd to most in the past few weeks.

I actually shut myself in the house for the past 2 days. I have backed away from friends. It was so bad on Tuesday night, that I actually had to take matters into my own hands. I knew I had to find a way to get past this part in the grieving process. So, I wrote all my feelings out. Everything...out there. It seemed to help. I woke up yesterday and felt lighter. Today, much lighter and I came up with a plan. I have to do something to pull myself up and out. Besides going to work every day which is just basically going through the motions, I have to expand on my art. I have to find new projects, plan new shoots, work on new photos, finish my own edits on my 2nd manuscript. I have to.

So, I am beginning today. I have ordered a new camera and I am going to be offering a special on mini sessions. I will post those details soon. I have plans to work on my edits starting next week and I have started working on photos again. I know that I will never get over this, but then neither will my family or my Mother. I have faith that it will get better though. I am posting some photos below that I have been working on. Let me know what you think. Also, my book was added to Good Reads. This  is a great place to share your love of reading and books. It's a great place to rate, review and recommend books to your friends and others on the site. So, check it out!

I will sign off for now, but keep your comments and emails coming. I would love to hear all about your goings on...how you are enjoying fall. Even if its to tell me how much you love pumpkin spice anything, lol. Life is short my friends. Connecting to our fellow human is what keeps us alive. Enjoying new experiences. I have found that shutting ones self off, starts to kill your soul. So, lets connect! The topic is fall anything :) Go!

Have a wonderful evening!
Anna
Artfully Odd




Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Lost Files-Words & Things

I am always scribbling on paper. I have reams of it all over the house. There are notebooks in a bin by my desk that I write in. When I am gone, someone, (Maddy) will go through all of it and think...what the heck? She was the pack rat of paper, lol! Today, as I was looking for one said notebook, I stumbled onto a poem I had started last year sometime...I think, lol. I never date these things, but none the less, there it was.






Who would have thought? Well, actually, I would have because you never know with me. As I said, always scribbling. So, in the spirit of this new moon and retrograde period...in the spirit of trying new things and opening ourselves up to all the universe has to offer, I am going to share what there is of these scribbles on paper. It has  no title, no form really. Just some ideas that I must have jotted down in between edits this past winter. I have noticed though, after reading this, that I usually write about one thing, lol and it's like this. A working title would be good though....

She walks those darkened hallways
Alone
Barefoot

Red is what she sees the most

It is warm and wet and envelopes her like the embrace of  a lost love

Wet, she feels it on the tips of her toes
The hem of her skirt

Red, like the color of love and life and the blood that she tastes

Wet, with the possibility of a future she could not even imagine

Blood in the silence of cast shadows
She dreams

Red

Wet

Open to the universe

Hmmmm....Definitely needs a title! Need to file this under my Words and Things category and the Lost Files. It's nice to find surprises while flipping through my notebooks. That's probably why I am a serial scribbler. I will be jotting down some more lines to this I hope. Perhaps then I will share how it has turned out. Anyway, I hope that the day has treated you well my friends. Here's to being open to all of this wonderful creativity in this retrograde period! What has been keeping you busy? How are you using this energy?

Have a great evening!
Anna

Thursday, September 1, 2016

1 Snap for 30

Welcome to the 1st of September! As promised, today starts my 30 snaps for 30 challenge. Today finds me running errands. I know, boring right? It must be done though as we have family coming into town tomorrow. So I thought this a fitting that this be my first snap for thirty. Now you all know what kind of car I drive, lol. I hope I have had some takers on this challenge. I am going to use the tag 30snaps and 1snapfor30, feel free to use them too.

Have a great day my friends! Let's see where our eye leads us :)

Anna
Artfully Odd


Monday, August 29, 2016

One Snap for Thirty


Well, hello my friends! I hope that this finds you all doing well and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. We have been fairly active this summer and I have been glad for it as a few weeks ago, we lost my Dad. His death, while I am glad he is not suffering anymore, has affected me deeply. My Dad was a happy, funny, wise and loving individual who always had some wisdom to share. He did amazing things in his lifetime, like working for NASA...No, really...he did! He raised a son and then took on the task of being a wonderful father to me and my brothers. He made my Mother happy. He enjoyed camping, poker and he disliked anything that could not be explained rationally, lol. We once had an argument over the movie The Ring, because of that very thing, lol. Can you imagine? He was never far away and even though we had not talked over the phone much this past year, I loved him. I know he loved me.

I have been very blessed with a very strong support system and while I am not over this hurt by a long shot, they have kept me in the life of the living. Kept me busy. They have not allowed me to lay down and give in to my sorrow. Today, as I write this, I am very thankful for that. I am loved just as my Father was loved...he saved me more times than I can count and that's what it is all bout in this life. Forming lasting relationships in this big and scary world. Giving and being loved...well, I had that and will continue to have it. I was a very lucky girl to have him be a part of my life and I will miss him for as long as I am here on this plane. So, I have had good days and bad. I am sure that will stay with me for a while, but I still have to move forward. Even if there are days that I don't want to. I know that we as humans almost always say this when tragedy touches us, but it rings true. Tell those that you love, that you love them. Not just now and then, but EVERY single day! You just never know... 

In that spirit of things, a challenge has been lay down. Something to keep me from wallowing. Yes, I have decided to take on a little creative challenge. I am going to pursue some inspiration and shoot something every day for the month of September. That will mean that I will never be away from my camera. I will be looking for inspiration in everything I do. Even the boring stuff. I am pledging to post a snap for every day and I am kind of excited to see where I end up then. Just picture it...a snap shot of something every day. What will my life look like in photos? The possibilities are endless!

So, here it is. I am not only challenging myself to do this, but I am challenging you too! Imagine the things we can create or see or do in 1 month? What will all this creativity look like? How and where do we find inspiration? I don't know the answers, but I am excited to find them out! Are you with me?

Let's fill our news feeds and walls with something beautiful every day, just by living our lives!

Anna
Artfully Odd

Friday, August 26, 2016

Rock and Roll Photo Shoot Prints


Here are a couple shots from my recent photo shoot. Looking forward to sharing more information with you soon. Prints available

Model: Bettina Martin
MUA: Bettina Martin
Hair: Anna Patten
Styling: Anna Patten
Guitars: Fender/Bettina Martin/Brian Green
Grip: Buzz Patten


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Words and Things-Wednesday Edition

Words and Things Wednesday Edition:

"My only mistake, throughout this long and hopeless existence, has been looking for love." she wept

Now there's a mouthful, huh? The strangest bits of dialogue are always coming to me and since my phone is littered with quick notes of them, I thought I would start sharing more of them. I posted a driving edition a couple weeks ago that might actually turn into something. Only time and my brain will tell.

Wishing you a a wonderful Wednesday! The weekend is just around the corner :)

Artfully Odd
Anna


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Dreaming of Gloss

Hmmm Butter Gloss! NYX Blackberry Pie. Getting my Morticia on this afternoon. Ok...Love the texture and it has a cake batter taste to it...but it is a tad messy to get on. It's a true gloss, so it will smudge on contact. Don't give up on the first try of application. The color is extremely dark, as the name suggests...but I kind of like it. Makes me feel mysterious, lol. Perfect for that inner bad-ass I know I have! Wearing it all day though? Or on a night out on the town? I am not so sure that would work without some sort of sealer being applied to it. As I stated above, this gloss will smudge on contact. Having said all of this though, I would most certainly recommend! Go on! Give it a try and have some fun with it! After all...We need more fun in this crazy world we live in!



Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Maggie-The Find of Her Life

I don't know...kinda looks like Maggie, don't you think? This was a mock up for the cover before we finally settled on the final image. Thanks to my friends at Evil Genius Group for helping me make Maggie come alive!




A big thanks goes out to Linkville for producing the cover on the book now. A lot of hard work went into it and I have received a lot of compliments so far. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, visit me on amazon.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Thoughts on a Monday Night


Beauty is where you find it! Those words became really real this past week. So glad I kept my eyes open and my wits about me. When you open your eyes...really look at the world...What do you see? Just look through the lens...

Artfully Odd
Anna

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Press Release is Out!


The Find Of Her Life by Anna Patten
View this email in your browser

The Find Of Her Life

Digging For Love

Contact: Giana Elenterio
              The Evil Genius Group
              giana@evilgenius.nyc
              347-228-0180
New York, NY-- Today, Anna Patten debuted her first romance novel, The Find Of Her Life. The book, currently available on Amazon, is the perfect mixture of love, lust, and a life recreated.
"This book was ten years in the making, I'm so excited for readers to dive into the book and fall in love with the characters just as I did," said author, Anna Patten. "Between the passion, the mystery, and the erotic ending, I know the audience will be hooked from beginning to end."

This is the first book by author, Anna Patten and her writing partner Timothy Lasure. Anna is currently independently working on her next romantic novel with a bit of a historical fiction included. The book is currently available for purchase on Amazon in Kindle and hardcopy form. A hardcopy form of the novel is available to be mailed upon request, a PDF version of the book is available via the link below.
"The story shows how even after a great tragedy you can be reborn and find romance.  That we all can persevere and find love even after life hands us a dark moment. I hope the readers enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  You never forget your first,' concluded Patten

# # #
Anna Patten is an author, a photographer and lover of all things odd. She began her quest to complete her newest novel, The Find of Her Life, nearly ten years ago. A writer since childhood, Anna now fuels her passion for writing into sexy and romantic novels.  Anna currently lives in upstate New York.
Copyright © *2016* *Artfully Odd*, All rights reserved.
*Anna Patten* *The Find Of Her Life|*

Our mailing address is:
giana@evilgenius.nyc

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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Random Dialogue thoughts While Driving Home

I am a thinker. Anyone that knows me even a little, knows that my mind doesn't shut off. This is very true when driving. On my way home today, this random dialogue thought popped into my head. Don't know what I will do with it yet, but here it is:

"Would you bleed to love me?" Macy questioned with all the seriousness she could muster. Love was not something she was willing to play around with. Her guy had to be in it all the way or it was time to move on. You know, that all consuming, crazy kind of love. The kind that has you breaking off a piece of your kitchen counter every time you see him.

Macy looked across the table at the man who started back at her. Reaching up, she grabbed a lose chestnut curl and began to twirl it around her finger as she waited for an answer.

He reached up, taking his glasses off and meeting her gaze with a smile. "No, but it's a great song!" With a snicker, he began to clean his glasses with the linen napkin that lie at his side. Once finished, he placed them back on his face, looking at her. The smile faded. "Oh my God, your serious?"

The bell rang, signifying that it was time for him to leave her table. Macy new she wasn't going to find Mr. Right here, but it was sure fun to torture Mr. Wrong a bit.

"Next!"
Anna Patten
2016

Of course it's rough and I am not sure if it will go anywhere or not. Just jotting it down. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend :)

Anna
Artfully Odd

(Photo Credit: the internet)

 


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

One Sheet Press for the Book

One sheet preview!
Click me

Imagine my surprise, when after years of toiling in the publishing world, a wonderful house took me in and said, "Yes, we believe in you! Yes, we like your book!" It was novel day, (see what I did there? lol)  that had me doing back flips down the hall of my apartment. Ok, not actually doing back flips...those that know my apartment, know that I could never do that in there as the ceiling in my apartment looks like this:
 (It's cozy though) However, this gal was pretty excited to say the least. This is all the culmination of a very long journey. There was blood, sweat and even tears that went into the making of this book. Most of all though, there was determination. If I learned anything at all from this journey, it would be that no matter what...NEVER GIVE UP!!! YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU BELIEVE!!! I think that's the single most thing I am proud of. Not just for me, but I showed the ones I love just how much heart I have. Anyway, that's enough about me, lol. Please check the book out. Read it and give it a review. You will have this gals, undying gratitude foreva!


One more note, let's talk about some fine people  I am blessed to have a wonderful team behind me in both PR and Publishing! THANK YOU to Evil Genius Group and Linkville Press for all the support and hard work and dedication! No matter what my anxiety level has been throughout this whole process,  you have been right there with me. I could not ask for more! Friends, I highly recommend them if you are looking for the services that they provide! Team...You raise me up!




Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Celbration Day

It's celebration day my friends! That's right, we have our little hats on and the streamers are flying in the Artfully Odd household tonight! It gives me great pleasure to announce that the book is done the right way and live on amazon as I type! I have been doing a happy dance all afternoon! Get the scoop and support your local author :)

A big thanks to everyone who helped us on the road to being published. I know I cried and yelled a lot during editing, (Bettina, you remember that night, lol) but this has been a labor of love! Thank you to all my friends and family that stood by me during this process...even with my ugly cry and all, lol! Thank you to my publisher, Linkville and my editor Amanda for making a gals dream come true and making this book look so beautiful. Thank you to my co author, you helped create a wonderful story foundation that led us to this day! A thousand thank you's from a very happy girl :) I hope you all like it!

With a very grateful heart-
Artfully Odd
Anna

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Words & Things

Something I am working on now:

I awoke with a start, afraid that everything had been a dream. Reaching out next to me, I searched for the comfort I so desperately sought, until my fingers touched his hair. It was only then that I exhaled. A hand quickly rose up out of the darkness to claim mine and I felt the tender press of  his lips.

"I'm here sweetheart." 

"I was afraid." I whispered.

Eric sat up next to me, his arms enfolding me as he kissed me gently. 

"Do not for a moment think that I will ever leave you again my love."

"Eric, what have we done?" I pleaded with him.

"Shh." he whispered, pulling me back down with him to the pillows. "Not here sweetheart. This place is just for us. We left the outside world at the gates. We will face whatever awaits us soon enough."

I snuggled further into his grasp as his muscled arms held me tight."For now, just lay with me for a bit Lex. Just close your eyes and rest. I am here with you and all is the way it should be."

Sleep came quickly, pulling me down into its smooth, velvet depths. The likes of which I had not experienced since they told me Eric was dead.... 

(C) Anna Patten
Artfully Odd
2016





Architecture & Works in the Works

Hello out there! I hope that this finds everyone doing well. Things have been pretty busy around here as of late. I have been doing more traveling, planning traveling and unpacking than I have in quite some time. I have been enjoying it to say the least. I love venturing out and exploring new places and things. If you follow my Instagram, you  have seen some of my adventures and you might have noticed my resurgence of architecture photos. It's been an awaking of sorts, a love affair so to speak. I have always had a love of beautiful buildings, but lately, I can't stop looking at and snapping them. There's something so beautiful in lines and design. My favorites seem to be the art deco style buildings and I have fallen in love with Frank Lloyd Wrights work. The way the deco and Wrights buildings were built is so terribly different from today's construction, and I am not just talking materials and such. I have been fascinated with the way that these buildings work with the movement of light. How they gently let it become part of their beauty. For me, its much more warm, more earthy, where today's construction seems to be cold. I love the flow of these buildings, where ascetic beauty is part of the experience instead of just form and function. Must be my old soul. Anyway, I could talk about this all day if you let me, so I will digress and move on to save you all the headache, lol.


I have some exciting works in the works and I can not wait to share it with you all. I am waiting on final confirmation before I do share, but its exciting none the less. A project I have been working on for years is about to see light. That's both terrifying and thrilling! So I have been rotating between bouts of  joy and high anxiety. Sometimes, being an artist is a whole gaggle of emotions and I don't quite know what to do with all of them. I am trying to just focus on the last minute things and save my excitement for the big day! I promise to share the deets as soon as I can!

Here's to hoping that this week has treated you right my friends and that this holiday weekend, will be just as wonderful :)

Anna
Artfully Odd



Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Have You Ever

Have you ever had one of those days where you didn't know what to write? Yea...

The words wont come...

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Thoughts to Start a Discussion

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be an artist. How hard it is to get noticed today or grind out a living doing what you love. At times its not an easy thing to do. At times...who am I kidding, most of the time, it's not an easy thing to do. At times, I feel like the girl in Kill Bill just trying to get through it all with one piece of my clothing NOT covered in blood. It's a difficult thing to rationalize when, as an artist, you put so much of yourself into your work. That is nothing new though. Since the dawn of art, artists have put pieces of themselves into their work. Some works we can not bear to part with because of that very fact. So, in all of my rationalizing I have come up with a few thoughts. First, let me preface this by saying that I am not complaining. I enjoy what I do, no matter what and joy is a hard commodity to find these days. I am not about to give that up. I am also not trying to push my thoughts off on anyone else. What I am stating here is true for me and I am hoping that by sharing, I will be starting a dialogue about this topic. My thoughts are this:

You can't get noticed unless you have been noticed. In today's world, no one pays attention to your blood, sweat or tears. No one pays attention to the beauty you put into the world. No, its all about how many followers on social media you have in this cult of celebrity we live in. I have to ask...does that seem right? Is that the natural flow of things? Artists have always struggled, but an artist could still grind out a living. If you don't have a million followers today, there is almost zero chance for you to make it. Its all about the numbers and who you know. If you are like me and know no one....well you are kind of screwed. You can't even get a foot in to a gallery if you don't know anyone and in today's art world of appropriation, that's kind of disheartening.

Not sure what I mean? Well, sometime this fall an artist took other peoples Instagram photos, blew them up hung them in a gallery and sold them for more than 20,000.00 a pop. Because its considered appropriation, it was perfectly acceptable for him to do this. Why should this bother us? Well, because the person who's photo he appropriated is most likely trying their hardest to get into a gallery themselves and because they don't know the right people, they can't get in. But someone who has the right contacts, can basically take their work and get obscene amounts of money for it. Fair? I guess, if you consider it fair every time Lucy pulls the ball away from Charlie Brown and he falls over backwards. Yea, fair.

So, how do we exist today as artists? I am not so naive to think that we can change the system. But maybe there is something we can do about it. Maybe forming our own boards and galleries is a start. Maybe by working together we can get the system to budge just a hair. Maybe, if we supported one another instead of trying to tear each other down, we can do something good. Put something beautiful into the world together.

What I am trying to do here is start a discussion. I want to know how my other artists out there feel. If you feel I am wrong, I want to know. Change my mind if you can. If you agree, then I want to know what you think can be done. Can we budge the system? Lets discuss. Lets educate each other. Let's stand up and do something.

Rant over
Anna
Artfully Odd Photos
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Let's Work Together

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Recent Shots

Hello there :) I hope that this finds you all doing quite well and enjoy this lovely spring weather. Everything has started to turn green here and not too soon in my opinion. Even though this past winter was not bad by any stretch of the imagination, I find that I have been antsy for the warmer temps to get here. How I long to wear a tank top and sit outside with my tea. It's the little things, lol. What's the down side to all these nice temps and prettier colors in nature? My allergies, of course! They have been at def-con 11 for days now, but I will take it in exchange for some sunshine. 

A friend of mine said, not to long ago, that she thought it was odd that I had not written anything or, for that matter, picked up my camera in months. Until she said this, I hadn't even noticed to be honest. As I said, this winter was not bad at all, but it had an effect on my. Sort of put me in a malaise state. (No, there were not meat helmets involved or anything shorn, lol) I had been sleepwalking through my life! So, a couple weeks in a row, I made sure that my camera was with me when I went out. I have been snapping whatever catches my interest and I think I have gotten some great shots. I have also noticed my art evolving a bit. Taking on new shape and form. So, in a round about way, I suppose stepping away from it for a bit was not such a bad thing after all.

I hope this spring is treating you well and I hope you are enjoy all it has to offer. Looking to schedule a portrait session? Trying to find new artwork for your wall? Email me for more information on my work, if you are so inclined :) Have a wonderful Sunday my friends and keep me posted on your springtime adventures!

A
Artfully Odd Photos

 NYC 2016
 NYC Met 2016
 NYC 2016

Monday, February 15, 2016

Taking Action

Hello there. I hope that this finds you all doing well. I must say, this winter has been easy on us here in Upstate. That's really nice, because last year? Well, lets just say that Mother Nature did her best to beat us up last winter. So, it has been a somewhat easy couple of months. I will not lie though, I can not wait until warmer temps stop by and say hello. You know, sunshine and some flip flops. Yea, that would be nice right about now. But, I digress...

As the title says, I am taking action and it's pretty exciting! I have some announcements that will be coming soon about some design work with my art and I can't wait to share that with you all. I am on the hunt for a new camera too. My decision is now between a Olympus or a Cannon. I have 2 picked out, just have to make a decision. I am currently researching each one, but I thought I would ask you all. Which do you prefer? I am not a Nikon girl, nor do I think I will ever be. But, if you have u
sed Cannon or Olympus I would love to hear your thoughts on either one. I currently have an Olympus and I LOVE it. We have created some really great photos together, but I need more megapixels...So I have to upgrade. Thank you for your thoughts in advance.

I am also looking to do more portrait session in the coming season and back away from prints for a while. I am currently working on some photo packages, with pricing starting at 150 for a mini session to 350 for a fantasy session. I will have more information on that coming up soon, so be on the lookout. In the mean time, if you are wanting to schedule a session or need some questions answered about a session, feel free to email me.

Hoping that you are all having a wonderful start to your week and are staying warm when you can. Let's have some hot chocolate, shall we? :)

Artfully Odd
Anna



Monday, January 11, 2016

It's Tricky-Total Update

It's tricky, that retrograde! It tried to knock me off my game a bit...put some plans on hold...terrorize me even. However, that is what its there for. To shake us all up a bit. Make us see things more clearly. Decide what is important and what isn't. It's tricky! No more though! I meant what I said and said what I meant. This is the year for getting things done. Seeing dreams come true. Making things happen. One of those things is, drum roll please, getting my store up and running. It was supposed to happen about 2 years ago and for reasons beyond my control, (and some within) it got scrapped. This is me putting thought into motion, holding myself accountable. 2016 the year of my store! Stay tuned for details.

I am working on a few art projects as well. Hope to get one done soon and share it. Along with that, I am taking photo jobs here and there. If you would like to book a session, contact me and we can get something on the books. I am also, currently on the hunt for a few models for future projects. (See the line above if interested as well.) Looking for a bit of help too. If you could take a look at my work and let me know if you have a favorite print that I have done. One that you think would make a good print in my store, I would be profoundly grateful and give you 10% off your next print order. After weeks of looking at my work and trying to pick what is best, I have come to the decision that I am not capable of choosing, lol. My work is like a child to me and I could never exclude one for the other. Although, I will admit that some of my older stuff is not that great. I have learned a lot in the past years that I have put to good use and made some good strides in my art.

In other news, some of you have asked when my book will be coming out. It is currently in stage 3 of editing and I should have some news on it soon. I have been through 2 editors, so it has taken a bit longer. Thank you for staying patient with me on this project. I have actually learned a lot during this process and I look forward to having a finished book to share.

I guess that about wraps it up for now. Leave a comment and let me know how you are all doing. How has this new year been treating you? What projects do you have in the works? Looking forward to hearing from you :)

Artfully Odd
Anna