Film Photography - A Few Portraits.

Catching Up.

2013 was really something. Sean and I were engaged and married within a month's time, we continued to settle into the new house, and I managed to stay very, very busy. So much so that my commission work, photography stuff, jewelry experiments, Facebook, Etsy, Flickr, this blog, the cats (the cats deserve their own post), and everyday life here on Vegan Mountain all became a little too much to maintain. 

I have a bad habit of putting too many irons in the fire.

So, here we are a couple of months into 2014 and I'm trying to streamline. I still have a lingering commission painting from last year to finish up, but once it is handed off to the owners I plan to wrap up a few personal pieces that have been on the back burner. I've been making notes for new work as well. I'm excited.

Are you excited?

In my mind, I'd like to shoot for at least one new post on here per week, but I feel like I probably shouldn't promise anything, given the potential for a big change in the routine this upcoming summer (probably deserves its own post too). I also can't promise that all posts will be art related, but I know you won't be offended by photos of gardens, cats, or cupcakes.

...

I feel a little weird leaving without sharing some kind of image, so here are a few random photographs from the last year. See you soon!

Day 25 + Alts.

I've made it to day 25 of my 365 photography project. Here are a few alternative shots from along the way:

Drawings coming soon!

365.

An attempt to do something with consistency. A photo a day for a year. Hopefully I'll stick with it (and even learn a thing or two).

 001/365

I'm sure I'll post about it on this blog from time to time, but the project can be followed over at my Flickr page.

Thanks for looking! 

You Should Have Seen My First Few Attempts.

A portion of my ever-growing hoard.

Random studio shot (my hoard-to-be?)

Food Photos + A Lack of Art.

We were recently able to spend some time with our best friends in a little cabin down in NC. Two days of hot tub soaking and libations were a great way to decompress at the end the holiday week. As it turns out, we were a little too busy eating, drinking, and being merry to take a lot of photos, so you'll just have to trust me that it was a beautiful little getaway.

I can't seem to pin anything down lately when it comes to art. I make lots of notes and scribbles, spend a lot of time daydreaming about projects, but nothing has made it past the conceptual phase. Maybe I need to just buckle down and start something. Maybe I need to at least get a make-shift studio together for now until I get my furniture refinished/chosen/purchased/situated.

./sigh

Maybe I'll try a little organizing tomorrow (both of boxes and thoughts). All I have to offer in the way of visual interest at the moment are, as the title mentioned, food bits. Not particularly glamorous, but tasty.

And of course, it's all vegan, all of the time.

A while back I got on this huge blueberry kick. I never even liked blueberries growing up, but lately, I want to put them in everything. Maybe it's just an excuse to bake.

I grew my own pumpkins this year! They didn't get massive in size, but they were cute and perfectly shaped. I ended up baking them so now I have a good stockpile of homemade puree in my freezer (maybe it's just an excuse to bake). I also got some awesome maple + rooster sauce roasted seeds out of the deal.

 This ^ was my very first time making sushi!

And this was my very first inside-out roll!

I'll work on something to post soon. Something non-food. Promise.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Hello, Winter.

So it seems this big east coast storm sped up our progression into snow season. The flakes have been falling since early this morning, but have yet to add up to much. I believe tomorrow is supposed to be the big day as far as accumulation goes, so I'm holding on to the hope that the power stays on and we stay warm in our little mountain home.

A few photos from the last week:

I have been working on a self-portrait pencil drawing over the last week and I hope to have the first stage of it completed and posted soon.

I wish everyone warmth and safety during this crazy weather!

Autumn Is Here.

There are still so many boxes to unpack/things to organize and I have found myself way behind on the art front. Ideas are still getting jotted down; I just haven't had the time for them. Things will settle down eventually.

Fall is here and it's absolutely beautiful. I hope to at least make some time for photos this week while the weather is still good to us.

Fall Portraits.

I'm teaming up with Anora Crescent Photography for a fall portrait special!

(October 6th & 7th in West Virginia)

Outdoor Wedding - Photography.

I tagged along to an outdoor wedding yesterday with my photographer friend. It was nice getting a new experience under my belt.

More shots over at my Flickr! account.

A Few Photos.

Exposure Therapy - Photos & An Update.

Like a lot of people, I'm afraid of spiders. As in, if I were to spot one in the car with me while driving, I'd likely kill myself and who knows who else trying to get away from it. So, we've done what any bug fearin' people would do: we bought a house in the country.

I've seen some things out there...Things that have literally haunted my dreams at night. Spiders shouldn't be allowed to get so big. That being said, after seeing wolf spiders the size of baseballs (I could seriously see the glare off of its eyes from across the shed), the smaller, more delicate fellas are starting to seem pretty harmless. Also, taking some time to do a little research alleviated some of my fears in regards to which ones could actually be a danger.

Renovations are underway and the to-do list is ever-increasing. Two solid weeks of noobish diy'ing has wreaked havoc on my body. I have to give kudos to my dad for being a contractor all of his life and not complaining 24/7 about how bad his back surely hurt. (Side note: Happy Father's Day to my bitchin' dad! I wish you were closer in proximity so that you could teach me to be less of a noob when it comes to home repairs).

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to work on anything; I've barely had time to sleep, let alone paint (unless you count kitchen cabinets). I don't want to torture everyone with photos of countless patched and unfinished walls, so here are a few non-construction photos from the last couple of weeks.

I'll share more over at the Flickr page.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Portrait Photography - Willow Sage.

Little Willow is the new addition to my boyfriend's family, and he is quite the proud uncle. Lucky for me, this gives me the opportunity to gain a little more experience when it comes to photography.

You can check out additional photos from this session over at my Flickr account. Thanks for looking!

The Big 2-9.

This week has been full of unexpected fun. Last weekend, after going out on a long drive with the mister, I returned home to find a house full of friends yelling "surprise!". Sean had worked it out that our friends from out of state were able to come in for six days to spend our vacation/my birthday week with us. I typically live in fear of surprises, but this was just about the coolest thing I could have asked for. 

Last night, after everyone had returned home to their respective states, Sean presented me with my other birthday surprise: An Olivetti Lettera 22. The same model of typewriter that Sylvia Plath used to write some of her most famous work. It has to be one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. Not only is it beautiful, but it is fully operational. 

I'm fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life. Friends that are happy to spend the week lounging around, cooking good food, and sharing each other's company. 

Lots of love for all of the birthday wishes I've received today.

All the best,

Kylene

Vacation Has Officially Begun!

Unfortunately, the design project I've been working on isn't finished yet, but I can live with where it's at at the moment. This month has been super busy for us with possible big changes in the works. I'm sure I'll be posting more about them as things progress!

Photography/Flickr!

I finally took the plunge and created a Flickr page, so my photos should be easier to keep track of/view. I look forward to getting more time in with my camera (and photography in general) once this big project is finished up.

As always, more to come.

In The Drawing Room's Flickr!

In The Studio - Photos.

Gessoing canvas for the design project. What can I say? Digital work just isn't my forte anymore. I'm attempting to do as much of this "my way" before I'm forced to shove all of it into a template in Illustrator.