Valerie's Workshop

Hello all!  In just over a month, November 12 to be exact, the first Rooted in the Outdoors Art Show will be taking place at Rutabaga, in Madison. For the first time since college, I'll be contributing artwork to an art show and I am completely excited for the chance! Below is the photograph that I will be enlarging, matting and framing for potential purchase!  Enjoy. Hope to see you at the show ... November 12, 6-9pm at Rutabaga . Also of note:  I'm working on making wooden christmas ornaments that I plan to sell on Etsy this Holiday Season. I will post more info as they become available!

Interested in the Fall savings at Rutabaga? Or how about one of my latest graphic design projects? If so .... click here !

One of the consulting projects I work on is a semi-monthly e-newsletter for Rutabaga , a locally owned paddlesport shop in Madison, WI. Below is a link to the latest version of the newsletter. Enjoy! Rutabaga Labor Day Sale Newsletter

Well, look how fast time flies! I feel like just a few days ago I was getting ready for summer and now I'm harvesting vegetables from the garden and prepping the yard for fall.  Between shifts at work and days spent fishing on the lake, I have been able to bust out a few projects around the house. The most elaborate project was a growth chart for my son's bedroom. We are a pretty ambitious family, with taller genes running through, so I thought a seven foot beanstalk would be the perfect backdrop for the chart. It was a multi-step, multi-tool project that I was able to complete over a couple of days. Here are a few images that captured the process. Step 1: Trace basic shape of bean stalk onto plywood. Cut with jig saw. Step 2: Make sure it still looks like a bean stalk. Sand rough edges and prep for painting. Step 3: Apply base coat to entire bean stalk. Step 4: Apply second, third and fourth coats of paint. Label with ruler and proper intervals. Try not to paint the coff

I tend to be a pretty perceptive person and take pride in noticing the little things that most others miss. This guy was one of those things I noticed while working downtown Madison this past weekend. He should be an example to us all ... to take a moment to step back, sit down and think.

Well, I had a much needed day off today. I spent the morning curled up under the covers, finally making my escape around 10 o'clock. After running to Gotham Bagles for breakfast (you should try their pineapple mint fresh squeezed juice, it's amazing) I headed straight to the Camera Company. There I picked up my freshly cleaned 35mm camera, a few rolls of film, some prints and some new batteries. They even let me look at a Holga for a little while. (Take note, I do not own a Holga yet but would love to. Did I mention my birthday is in April?) After a few stops at my favorite local vintage clothing stores, I went home to go through my purchases. Among all the goodies was a couple sets of prints of photos I took while on vacation in Tennessee during the summer of 2009. Most of the photos are of Bodie and his exploits around my moms yard/animal grazing area. Looking through these photos reminded me that no matter how convenient digital photography is, there is a style and class th

It seems about once a year I get the urge to start a blog. Part of me thinks this is because my desire to be connected to the world ebbs and flows with the changing of the seasons. The other part of me thinks that I am usually home more in the winter and I feel the need for a creative outlet. So here is the start to a new blog. I hope to use this blog as a complement to my less then stellar Facebook page (sorry friends, I don't want to share everything with you on Facebook) and to accompany my new Etsy site. I hope to share photos of projects, reflections on recent happenings and other things that I feel need to be expressed to bring joy to the greater good. Requests are welcomed and comments are encouraged! So, here's the first bit I want to share ... that hopefully will bring some joy to your day. I found that leaf while snowshoeing back in December. I couldn't pass up the simplicity and beauty of the leaf resting on the snow. Isn't it amazing how delicate natur