Rohling Studios

Illustration Friday ~ Under The Sea

  I used to be a really great swimmer.  When I was a child my brother, cousin and I watched "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges every week.  Mike Nelson was my hero.  I spent whole summers under the water with my scuba mask.  My sun tanned face had a white round oval where my mask was all afternoon.  I dreamed of having an aqua lung but settled instead for contests with my cousin to see who could hold their breath the longest.  There have been a few times in my life I have felt near drowning.  The first time I remember finding out I couldn't breath under the water I was really little.  I remember being at the end of my grandfather's pier with my Great Uncle Harry and my Dad.  From the pictures that were taken after wards I can see I was about three years old.  I had a dress on.  I fell in.  I remember the bubbles, my skirt billowing in the water and my hair floating about my face.  I saw my Dad and Uncle Harry above.  It looked like I saw them through swirled stain glass all full of bubbles and hair.  They say little kids instinctively don't breathe when they are submerged.  Apparently that was true for me.  It seemed I was suspended there for a long time watching them above me.  Then I just remember the splash of Uncle Harry jumping in after me in his suit and tie.  He yanked me out of the water and handed me to my Dad.  I was never afraid that the hands of the sea could pull me under it's surface until exactly that happened in Jamaica.  I gained a real respect for the water and the power it has when it decides to turn rough.  So this is my contribution to Illustration Friday this week...Under the Sea.   

Just An Ordinary Day

I can't believe this is the first post I have made since the original post with no pictures and all words!  This was just a day in the life of me.  Got up and had breakfast with my dogs...got ready for work.  I had three appointments in the morning and then had to pick up Gus to go to the Vet.  Good news!  His tumor was benign!  ( BigYEAH here...followed by a big SIGH!)  He got his head wrap changed!  Such a big bandage!  He needs to go back Friday for one more bandage change and vet check.  Hopefully the big bandage comes off on Monday.  Meanwhile, he has figured out ways to invert the Victorian Collar.  He runs thru the pine trees and uses the lower branches to pull off his bandages. I tried to pull him out from under the tree and he went limp....dead weight!   Fifty Five pounds of resistance!  Non violent resistance!  Refused to move...he locked eyes and refused to even blink!  I had adrenaline on my side!  A big rush of it.  Thoughts of starting all over from day one were rushing through my head as I moved his furry little butt out from under the tree.  I was now full of pine needles, (All over my brand new spring dress, in my hair and stuck in the gauze of his bandage!)  So...there I was trying to make his huge Victorian Collar the size of a satellite dish flop back out the right way as he refused to stand up!  I was very conscious of not bending too far over because I was in a dress and Lordy knows how that would look!  Then I thought about how he must feel.  I reached down and scratched under the edges of his bandage!  He blinked and was ready to follow me anywhere.  Unfortunately I had to return to work and I decided it best he follow me in the house where he just goes to sleep!  Then I had five more hours left at work, came home, had a bite to eat and here I am!  One day over!  How quickly they go!  In retrospect it was a wonderful day.  I spent time in my truck with my dog.  Got some good news!  Celebrated by buying him some french fries on the way home!  (I know...that's bad but we have this thing where I feed them to him one at a time and I get one for every 10 of his and I just get him a small order.)  And.... a yard fairy visited yesterday so I got to appreciate my yard for a little bit today because it was a sunshiney and beautiful day.  So....now....Good night all!  Sweet dreams! 

Illustration Friday - Robot

Well, this is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday.  It's always fun to see how the same subject is illustrated differently.  I love all kinds of robots...illustrations of robots, little tin ones, home made ones and R2D2!  Somehow they just don't make em like they used to...now they are called androids.  Scarey...even scarier than Frankenstein!

Stephanie Henk

Every so often you meet someone on the internet that you really wish you could hang out with for just a little while....Meet Stephanie Henk! 

Her work has such a whimsical nature to it!  I can't describe her better than she did in an email so I am just going to quote her!  When asked about herself she replied, " I am a wife and mother and it seems I live in a circus!  When the hubby is at work and the kids at school, I am never lonely for I have many pets to keep me company.  They include 2 dogs, a 23 pound cat, a flying squirrel and 2 canaries!  I have been doing art for most of my life really.  My dad, Clifford Cavin, is an oil painter and sculptor.  My mother does watercolor along with other crafty things.  My step-mother is absolutely brilliant and has taught me most of what I know now!  It doesn't matter what the project is, she has done it!  I have grown up around artist, galleries and art shows.  I feel so lucky to have been exposed to the creative side of life!  I like to do everything.  I have made jewelry, I like to sew mohair animals.  I have worked at making pottery.    looove paper mache!  It seems to be my forte.  I have made everything from art dolls, to circus dogs to santa and his elves.  One of my goals this summer is to create a fantastic folk art nativity.  I am inspired by artists like Debbie Thibault, Nicole Sayre, any of the artists at Earth Angels Toys!  I looove to read Somerset Studios and Art Doll Quarterly!  My husband cringes when I eagerly open the newest edition because my mind will be overcome with creative ideas and that means I will need supplies...And that means, he'll be dishin' out some dough!  I sell on Ebay under Purpleladybug24.  It works better for me than going through a gallery.  I like the exposure I get on ebay and I can work at my own pace.  I may sell my dolls but the real thrill is lovingly creating a super unique piece of art and having somebody love it as much as you!  Getting paid for it is just a bonus!"  Of course I had to ask her about the flying squirrel.  Her sister got it for her as a surprise.  She said she had to quickly learn about flying squirrels!   Stephanie doesn't usually take special orders from people.  But if someone has an idea they'd like to see, she said she can make something then list it on ebay for them.  That way, if they don't care for the end design, they don't have to buy it, and maybe someone else will.  You can also do a search for Stephanie's work on PFATT, which stands for Primitive Folk Art Trinkets and Treasures Market Place.  It is a site you can spend ages on!  Lots of wonderful artists there!  Have fun and be sure to look up Stephanie.  She has these little characters available on Ebay now!

I am curious Stephanie...how do all those critters get a long and stay out of your works in progress?

Lori Joy Smith and Jack and Lily

I have found some wonderful new blogs (well, new to me).  If you haven't met her yet go check out Lori Joy Smith and her wonderfully fun art work! 

Lori lives in Vancouver.  I don't know how she balances a family and her illustration career.  She designed these really cute shoes for babies too.  They are available on the Jack and Lily website.

I think I am going to order a pair for my new granddaughter that is arriving in early July!  I can't wait!  Look what else she made....how clever is this?

I have been busy getting ready for a gallery show in Door County.  I will share more about that later this week.  The week was busy with Gus's surgery...replacing bandages (which entails 2 runs to the vet).  I bet he can't wait to get all this stuff off of him!  Poor little fella...even his bark sounds different!  I have to say he has been really good about wearing the big collar around his head!  We once had a Rottweiler that had to wear one and the big fierce guy (yeah right!) was so intimidated by it we chose to watch him all the time rather than let him suffer so intensely!  Gus has a "oh bother" kind of reaction but carries on anyway!  Well, time to get ready for the week ahead so night all!

Spring is REALLY here!

This is my little "Party Time...Spring Is Here....After Easter Chick!  And yes I presently have a bright bathroom wall!  The Chick was purchased as a joke.  My brother told me he was going to leave me his ashes and I told him I would have to store them in a bobble head if he did...So, Wally, I have the bobble head!  Do you still want me to keep your ashes?  LOL!  You have to understand we have a different sort of sense of humor going on between us, being siblings and all.  Anyway, I had the day off.  I had to take Gus back to the vet to get his bandage changed. AGAIN!  He played havoc with it.  I let him out ONE TIME without leashing him!  He got a taste of freedom and rolled on the ground pulling on his bandage.  By the time I got to him it was too late!  It was loose and OOKIE!  All that watching and taking him to work was in vain!  He now has a Victorian Collar.  Poor fella but at least I can relax for a moment.  Here he is all propped up with pillows, relaxing and adapting to this satellite dish he is wearing so he can heal.  It makes my heart break!  I have to admit he doesn't let it keep him down.  He is still roaring around!  (Funny little watch dog that he is.)

It was a beautiful day today!  I did some yard work.  I put up my rabbit fencing to keep the dogs out of an area so I can seed patches that need it.  It feels good to be outside, hang over the fence and talk to my neighbors.  I have the greatest neighbors in the world!  Now I plan to attack things that need attacking in the house!  That includes some artwork! 

Illustration Friday ~ Spotted

 

This week's challenge for Illustration Friday is "Spotted".  Since I have had nothing but my poor little pup on my mind I decided to quickly illustrate his spotted little self....just under the deadline of Friday!  I took him to work with me today.  It's the only way I could keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't take off his bandages!  What a good little boy he was!  He napped most of the time.  He is such a great dog! 

Gus Is Home

He's HOME!  I am so relieved to have him back home.  He does need constant care since he tries to take the bandage off when I am not looking.  I can't wait till he can have it removed!  He looks like that portrait of Van Gogh!  The vet actually did not have to remove much of his ear so it looks worse than it is.  Poor fella!  SO SAD! 

Gus and Rosie

Here they are...the critters of the home and studio!  Rosie is the chocolate lab.  She is almost five years old, a talented retriever of anything you ask her to get, a swimmer extraordinaire, self appointed mother of Gus,  and the protector of the property!  Gus is a year and a half old mix between a bull terrier and a springer spaniel.  He is definitely not a swimmer (I had to buy him a life jacket to go in the water with Rosie), also learning to be a retriever (picks up whatever Rosie drops), and a lover of everyone and anything that moves.

The first picture I ever saw of Gus I knew I had to get him.  His ears looked like the flying nun and I fell in love with him right away.  This picture is of the first day I had him. 

They are very close companions.  If one goes somewhere they both have to go.  Gus is going in for surgery tomorrow.  He has a tumor on one ear that appeared about a month ago and has grown rapidly since it was originally looked at by the vet.  They have to crop a portion of his ear to get all of the growth.  Tonight I am worried about my little Gus.  And I am very saddened by what he has to go through.  So keep him in your thoughts tonight and tomorrow.  Send him some good vibes.  Thank you!  ~ Rosie, Gus and Claudia

EASTER

Happy Easter!!!!

Just sending my Bunnies your way to wish you a Happy Day!  These little ones are available as cards and I am thinking of opening a shop at Etsy.  Have any of you tried it before?  Just curious and would love your input about it.  Anyway, back to the bunnies.  They each have a name and I loved making them.  Meet Addison.

This is Carter...

And Kelsi...

Tobby...

Darbi and Darci...

Jori and Trent...

Tad...

Tully...

Rory and Cami...

Paddy and Ivy...

 

Sully...

And lastly, Whew!  Shamus, Shandy and Shane...

I'm sure they will all be very busy tomorrow delivering all those baskets!!!  I really loved making baskets for my kids.  So did my Mom.  She was the pro!  For years I went to Mom and Dad's the night before Easter so she could help me put my kids Easter Baskets together because she loved it so!  Mom always had our name on a tag with an Easter Bunny Paw Print on it that she drawn.  Each basket was wrapped in colored cellophane.  Jelly Beans would be buried in the easter grass deep inside the basket.  We kept the black ones for my Dad.  Of course there was the big chocolate bunny and some Peeps.  There was usually a sugar egg that had one end open to view a scene inside of it.  One year I got a little wind up tin chick that laid eggs.  I wish I still had that!  We actually left carrots out for the Easter Bunny!  When we were kids Mom and Dad hid the baskets!  I don't know how they found so many new places every year but some times they were quite hard to find.  We'd run around the house in our jammies (I remember the ones with the feet in them) trying to find where the Easter Bunny hid the baskets.  The night before I had slept with pincurls in my hair and a hair net covering my head so they wouldn't fall out.  (Did your Mom wrap your hair around her finger and criss cross it with Bobby Pins?  Yikes! you can actually still buy them and torture your own kids with pin curls!)  Mom said it was so I would look pretty on Easter Sunday.  When I was little Easter meant a new dress, hat and white gloves for me.  And... of course polished patten leather Mary Janes.  On Easter I always felt pretty.  I even had a little purse to put my little hankerchief in.  It had been crochet by my Great Aunt around the edges.  Of course my purse held real slightly colored lip gloss!  My Grandmother gave me a little tiny mirror to keep in case I should need to look grown up putting on my pretend lipstick.  My purse also held a little coin purse I could open up to get my quarter out when the collection baskets were passed at church.  After church it was off to Grandmother's for the big Easter Feast.  We used any holiday as an excuse to eat.  I continued the tradition of hiding baskets when my children were little.  We hid Easter Eggs too.  I learned the hard way to count them and make sure they were all found!  It was so much fun to watch the kids scurry around and to watch their faces light up when they found something....Especially when they found their baskets.  I made them baskets for as long as they lived at home...Poor kids...I loved it so!  LOL!  So of course tomorrow I am going to EAT!  LOL!  I have been invited to brunch at The Yellow Rose with friends and then to my Son-In-Law's Mother's house for Dinner in the evening.  I am NOT wearing pin curls tonight, nor do I have a hat and white gloves!  WHEW!  I look forward to the day.  I am hoping (maybe it would be festive to say I am Hopping) your day is a very special one.  To send a virtual Easter Basket go here.