Art and Life!

Good morning everyone!  Even though I have sleep in my eyes and my thoughts are jumbled, if I don't post in the morning it never happens.
  One huge motivating factor for posting to my blog again is Facebook, where I was posting weekly, removed six months of my postings for every year I've been on Facebook without notifying me.  Gone.  Everything I thought about and shared was wiped out and gone!  Like a bomb wiping out a city.  A part of my history is now gone.  Oh well, I'm now a forward marching soldier into the world of blogging.  Even though my blog says I have 38 followers, it seems now that my blog is Google hosted, none of my followers receive my notifications when I post.  So I guess for now, until I figure out how to relink to my followers and to find other places to post, this blog will be my personal journal. Kind of cool!  I hope I don't rant and rave and spill too many beans. Lol!
  Okay, what is currently happening with me?   I'm finally feeling better, and yes I have a smile on my face.  I have been fighting an intestinal bug for a couple of months now.  I was waking up with horrible intestinal cramping and then severe diarrhea.  I would have to take four Imodium Ads in the morning to make it through my music teaching day, or to make it through my recording sessions in April, and even to make it through the conference I attended in LA, and then I would collapse at night.  It has made a huge dent in my energy level and in my ability to get things done.  So, yeah, I'm glad to finally be feeling better.  Now I have a ton of house cleaning and organizing, business, music business, art business, and social media to complete.
  My drawing, 'Christmas Dance', will be exhibited this coming weekend at the Juried Gallery of the Edmonds Arts Festival.  It is for Sale!  Yahoo!
  I'm getting ready to finish and release a new CD - I love my new tracks - they are the best ever!
I'm also planning on submitting for new gallery shows with my beautiful new 'Rain Painting' series, and finishing the documentary film associated with the 'Rain Paintings'.
You can view my art at my art site: www.lauriemillermodernart.com.

Thank you for looking and reading, and if anyone can tell me how to notify my followers or to link my postings, I would greatly appreciate it.

xoxo,
Laurie

Steak Dinner

Hi everyone,

  I'm a sleepy zombie this morning.  Argh!  I didn't get very much sleep the night before, and then I woke up last night after having fallen asleep for only an hour last night.  I then stayed awake till 5:30 am.  I was in a total information absorption mode.  Reading and looking on different links on Social Media.
  I have to keep this short, since I need to 'hit the road Jack' in about twenty minutes.
I'm teaching private music lessons from 1 - 6 pm, then my boyfriend arrives at my house.  We cook the most awesome steak dinners together you can imagine.  Okay, I'll post a picture.  All I can say is yum, and we have so much fun doing it.
  If I don't pass out tomorrow early, I'll try to get back to my blog to write some more.
I'm turning in my art for the Edmonds Art Festival - again my drawing was juried into the Juried Gallery part of the festival.  It is the 15th time I've been juried into the festival. I've sold a few pieces, and I've had about 30 pieces juried into the festival.
I added my new beautiful 'Rain Paintings' to my art site: www.lauriemillermodernart.com
All of my art is for sale - and this summer only 10% all art.
My art is awesome - get it while you can!
 xoxox

I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

 Well, it has been two years since I posted on my blog!

  Anyway, I don't want to get into all of the tiny details, but mainly I was emotionally drained due to the passing of my bass student Ruby, who had turned 18 years old a few weeks before.
I also have been working seven days straight for the past ten years with only one vacation, and about maybe one to three days off (usually because I was too sick to teach) per year (due to unexpected and unprepared for tragedies with no family help - and I was a single mom with my son still in school).
  I try to stay positive, but it sure gets depressing when creativity pours out from my very soul and I previously lived, studied, and breathed my passions for numerous years.   I can create music, art, poetry, whatever at the drop of a hat, and I'm hoping to become better at selling my artistic endeavors so I that I no longer spend hours a week not living my passions.  My health hasn't been the greatest the past few years either, and when I come home from teaching it takes every last scrap of effort that I have to take care of myself, my cat, and my home.
   Don't worry I generally have a positive outlook, and I keep buying lottery tickets, no, I mean I have an attitude of gratitude for what I do have in life.
  Also, I have been fighting back through my physical pain and fatigue, and I have been creating once again.  I'm very happy with the outcome so far.  I have created a few new drawings and paintings, and a series of 'Rain Paintings' (which my son and I are creating a documentary film for).
My art web site: Laurie Miller Modern Art
   Another big also,  new music recordings.  I really love my new tracks!  Sean Walker engineered and helped produce my new music, and he has done an outstanding job.  The songs have energy, they sound powerful, and they received 100% positive feedback from other attendees and big wigs at the ASCAP EXPO in Los Angeles in April of this year.  As soon as I finish my student's music recital at the end of June, I plan of finishing the new CD - and then massive promotion will occur.    The songs are awesome!  One person associated with a label said my new version of my 'I Like You' song is a Hit song.  Yeah!  My new music web site (still updating, thank you for your patience): Laurie Miller Music
 
  With this new posting I plan on sharing at least a new piece of art, music, poem, or some outpouring of creativity from me everyday.  We shall see?

Today I'm sharing a drawing I created December 25th 2013 called, 'The Christmas Dance'.  It will be shown in the Edmonds Juried Art Gallery, June 13th - 15th.  I do have a BFA in Design from CCA ( a top art school in California), and I did work at Landor (at the time the world's largest design firm) where I was doing computer graphics.  I have also have an extensive fine art resume - solo and group showings listed on my art web site.
  Hopefully I will be back again to post sooner than two years.  xoxo

New Song - 'Give Up Me'

                                                             Hi everyone,

My blog postings have decreased from almost daily for a year to once a month.  Hopefully I will get back to posting more frequently.  Last month was a busy one.  I finally have my in-home studio up and running.  Here is the first song, 'Give Up Me' I tracked (vocals & guitar).  I still plan on producing a version of this song with some strings and a few other instruments added. In the middle of April I went to Los Angeles for the ASCAP Expo conference.  It was the motivating factor in getting my studio set up.   I plan on completing my new CD with my studio in July and August.  Another new song I recently tracked,  'What Does Bob Think?', placed Honorable Mention in the Song of the Year contest.  I was happy that it placed against completed (fully produced) tracks, when the song is only a rough and raw 'first take' vocal and acoustic guitar tracks.  I will produce 'What Does Bob Think?' this summer too, as well as the rest of my new songs.  I will be running a fundraiser to finish my CD and a series of paintings with Kickstarter starting next month.  This month is crunch time for my teaching business.  I have 20 students preparing for Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory - The Achievement Program exams this month, and then I have my student recital to prepare for.
  Eight of my nine art entries were accepted and juried into the Edmonds Arts Festival 2012 Juried Galleries.
  Continue to say your prayers and send positive energy for my 17 year old bass student, Ruby Smith, who is fighting cancer.  She is always in my thoughts.
  I will write more soon!  Have a nice day. xxoo Laurie

Arty Art

Hi Everyone! Okay, I know I've been slacking with my posts, but hey, three words: busy, busy, busy. I have two art pieces showing at the Edmonds Arts Festival this weekend, June 17 - 19. The Piano Teacher drawing, and the acrylic painting Four Flowers and Two Hands are part of the juried gallery. My art shown at the Edmonds Arts Festival is available to buy at the show. Art pieces from my new Modern Expressionism series are still hanging in the group show at Couth Buzzard Books till the end of June too. SALE! Half off my prices at the Couth Buzzard Books show, only two more weeks! Check it out if you get a chance! This past weekend was hectic with my son's graduation, my music students recital, and still teaching lessons all weekend. I'm making progress toward my goals this week. My son and I have been hiking a steep trail every morning, and I can finally fit into my size 3/4 leather pants again. Yeah! It has been a long journey getting back in shape, and overcoming the trauma that initially produced the stress hormone. Good thoughts and peace! My song 'I Like You' was played this morning on Live365 Internet Radio- Seattle ROKKX. I also have my music posted at: Reverbnation site. Off to my busy day! xxxxoo Have a Nice Day!

Piano Teacher

Hi Everyone! I started this drawing - Piano Teacher- earlier this week. I was hoping to complete it (not quite) and enter it into the Edmonds Art Festival (which I did anyway - incomplete and all). Speaking of art, my art is still part of the group show at Couth Buzzard books in Greenwood. I have cards and my art on sale there. Take a look if you get a chance. I didn't have many spare hours to complete the Piano Teacher drawing, and I even drew (from 3 am - 5 am) after my Wednesday gig at the Rim Rock with Tim Turner and Billy Spaulding. Bass wise I felt great at the gig, and I played a couple of solos I was happy with. I'm linking my Inanna's Dream song with this posting, since it as a solo piano piece it compliments the drawing. I recorded Inanna's Dream at a studio on an older grand piano in one take. I was still recovering from a car accident at the time I recorded this song, so at the beginning my left hand is a little weak. The song has seven movements. I hope to get a chance to record it again, and orchestrate it. I wrote the different parts at different times, usually when I was feeling intense emotions. Inanna is the Sumerian Goddess of love, war, sexual love, etc.
I'm very tired, so.... nighty night. xxoo

Utterances of Blue

Hi Everyone! I know I've been slacking with my blog postings, but my body has been fighting allergies and fatigue. I played gigs last week with Tim Turner on Wednesday, and Granite Reign on Friday. I'm still preparing for my original music acoustic gigs, and I plan on booking gigs soon. I'm focusing this week on finishing a couple of drawings by Friday to enter into the Edmonds Arts Festival. My modern expressionism art is still part of a group show at Couth Buzzard Books . Check it out if you get a chance. My new art web site is finally in the process of being built. Yahoo! I can't wait. I'm really enjoying reading about the Expressionist and then channeling this style. Very soothing to my soul. I'll be at the Rim Rock in Lake City with Tim Turner and Billy Spaulding again on Wednesday, so come on out and dance if you get a chance. My poem today was inspired by the word 'utterance' which was provided to me by my friend Carol. I've also linked my song 'Crawling' to this posting. Have a nice sunny day! xxoo

Utterance of blue
Utterances of blue
Falling over you
Time to break free
From the likes and dislikes of others
Time to be true
To your views
Changing the utterances of blue
With a new wind blowing through