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

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!

Dreaming of Gloss!

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

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

2016-Bring it On!

I am writing this today with a whole lot of love, joy and excitement in my heart. 2016 is almost here and I just can't wait for all it has in store! Just like a kid on Christmas Even excited! I am usually a pretty positive person, no matter what...but something about this new year has me pretty excited! I think I may know why. Given everything that we have gone through in the past few years, I finally feel like this coming year is my year! The possibilities are endless. I feel like I am standing on the edge of a bridge, waiting to bungee jump off it and for the first time ever...I wont scream, jump back or startle at the sight of the edge in view. I am just going to open my arms wide and free fall and laugh when I bounce back up!

So, what has brought about this change you may ask? Well, I am not sure if most of you will remember the kind of year that we had last year or not. Let me tell you, it was scary and hard and I cried a whole lot. There were so many decisions to be made that totally stressed us all out. Things to worry about that I didn't think I would ever have to to worry about. (Like making sure my will is all in order and my daughter was safe.) And from that, something wonderful happened. I know what's important now and most of all, who is important. I learned not to sweat the small stuff and to just try and go with the flow more. I learned that living life is more important than making plans to live it. Seize the day...seems so corny to say, but it is so very true. So this year, I am doing me, and our family and our life. I am going to try new things, see new sights and meet new people. I am going to do all of those things that I want to do and not worry about whether or not its a good idea. There will be no list making. There will just be jumping off the edge to see what happens. I learned a very valuable lesson. Life is a precious gift and I am done being scared and unhappy to any extent. So, let's get it started.

I will be taking steps to open my store again. It got derailed the first time, but this is the year. I will be booking more shoots this year. I am going to start taking my prints to craft fairs and building a real business. I will be spending my time with my loved ones the way I want. (Lori, we are going to take a page out of your book!) Adventure awaits!!! It awaits us all!

So, what more can I share my friends? If I had any piece of advice, it is to live in the moment. Be present. Put your phone down and open your eyes. Have a conversation with someone. Do something that terrifies you and will exhilarate you all at the same time. Love your family and be there for the friends that are there for you. Forget all of that bullshit that is the past! It will serve you no good now. Be kind to those you meet, for you never know what their path has been like. And finally, find joy! Be joyful! I wish you a very happy and healthy 2016 my friends!

Happy-Happy
Joy-Joy
Anna
Artfully Odd

Oh My Gosh, It's December!

My title says it all really! Where on earth did fall go? Looking back at my posts, I realize that its been some time since I jotted anything down here. I am sorry for that. Fall was a really busy season for us, including our vacation to Niagara Falls. We had such a good time and if you follow me on Facebook, you have seen what a lovely place it is via our photos. However you spent your fall season, I hope it was a good one! Now December is here!!! Can you believe it? We are currently busy getting ready for the holidays. We are looking forward to having a quiet and calm season with our daughter visiting shortly after. I am looking so forward to a calm end to 2015, (It has really been quite a year! The good and the bad.) and all that 2016 has in store for us!

On to artistic endeavors...I have been working on some new photography projects as well as taking on new photo shoots. Its been a lot of fun and I must say, the creativity that I am enjoying has been amazing. I have a new series in the works that I am really excited about! Can't wait to share it all with you. I was lucky enough to have just finish a fantastic shoot with the lovely Kim. She wanted to do something special to honor her family and I think the creative concept we came up with was pretty cool. I am sharing a few shots from the session here and I hope that you like the creativity that went into it. (On and ending note, Kim got permission from the church and the cemetery to be there and shoot photos there. We did this all with respect to her family as well as the other families there.)

Well, that's all for now. I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful week and wish you a lovely weekend!

Artfully Odd
Anna

Brace Yourselves...Fall is On it's Way!

As the popular meme says, "Brace yourselves...Pumpkin flavored everything is coming!" This makes me giggle. Like really giggle. You know that kind of giggle where you actually snort and then, surprised by said snort, you begin to giggle all over again. The reason for the laughter is mostly because I am one of those people who loves most pumpkin anything. I will have pumpkin coffee, tea, late, cake, pie...heck, even my car air freshener will be pumpkin spice! Raise your hands if you belong to the club. Don't try to hide...you there, in the back...you have pumpkin on your face! Raise your hand.

So, what is it about fall that brings out our never ending craving for the large gourd? (Or is it a fruit? I have never been clear on that. I could look it up, but I figure that those of you who actually read this, will do it for me and inform us all.) And while we are at it, don't you think it's strange that once September and October are gone, the craving disappears only to come back in spurts here and there? That is one sneaky gourd! (Again, see above. Come on people, don't let me down!) All I know is that once I see one yellow or red leaf, I am a pumpkin goner!

Now, I should clarify...I only want to devour pumpkin foods and the occasional car freshener. Place a pumpkin candle on my table, light it and I could very well vomit. Seems a bit extreme right? I think that every time the revulsion rolls off of me and I have no plausible explanation. To any doctors out there that may be reading this...thoughts?

But I digress...Fall is also one of the best and my most favorite time to shoot landscapes. There is something magical about all the reds, golds and oranges that sway in the breeze and dance in the sun. My camera will be glued to my side in a week or so. Thoughts of having it surgically attached to me so that it can be ready at all times, crosses my mind...but then I think, nah, better not, lol! I am not wishing summer away, (Winter=Boo), but I can't wait to get out there and capture some of natures beauty. So, what are we waiting for?

Oh yea...Mother Nature. She's so beautiful, so who minds the wait!

AMP
Artfully Odd

New Senior Portrait Session & Life

Well, a big hello there! Let me first apologize for the length of my absence here. I have not been too good about blogging as of late for many reasons, but mostly because I have been living life. Isn't it nice now that that old winter is gone! Never thought we were going to make it through this year! But, we did & I have been out enjoying the sunshine too much as well as shooting a lot of people and things, but have not had much time to blog about it. I will try to do better this summer as I will have so much that I want to share with you!  Like this for instance....

Steven Class of 2015

Steven Class of 2015

In memory of his Father

Senior photos are something that's near and dear to my heart. I get so much happiness from shooting these kids at the beginning of the rest of their life. They are so happy and so full of promise! It reminds me that life is a precious thing and should be full of those things always. No matter what age you are! So, CONGRATULATIONS Steven & the class of 2015! I wish you light and happiness as you start your life in this world!

Have a wonderful day!

Anna

Artfully Odd Photos