Impression Evergreen

Reflections April was even more difficult than I could imagine as it was marked by snow, the A to Z Challenge, limited artwork and a travel adventure in Houston, Texas. I wasn’t able to get much drawing done but my hand is still sore from all of the writing. My theme was travel photography so most of the posts were about places we’ve already been but I had to use GPS to find Xenia’s location. X always seems to present problems as we made a special trip in order to truthfully document the abandoned townsite. Posting every day is difficult enough but keeping up with the commenting is a struggle so that’s something I’m still trying to finish. All in all, it was another great experience because I met lots of creative people and discovered some inspiring blogs. Formatted below is a list of my favorite sites from the last month. If you get the chance, please check them out: Courtney Turner Maui Jungalow Giving real information for people who live on Maui or people who are curi

Courthouse and Jail Rocks, Nebraska Looks like it’s going to be an active April as I’m participating in the annual A to Z Blogging Challenge. Each spring, this unique event unites fellow creatives who are grinding towards a common goal. We’re all hoping to successfully finish the ultimate blogger’s marathon. The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 4 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random - just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day. My theme for the month is going to be Travel Photography. Although I’m not an international tourist, I’ve spent a lifetime exploring the Rocky Mountain region. I’ve covered countless miles driving on dirt roads, hiking to lakes

"Trout Lake" Colored Pencil Recently, I had a conversation with my friend Adam Ziemba from Noble Portrait about art, paintings and drawings. Somehow, Adam was able to weave that information together and he published the results of our discussion in an interview format. It’s always gratifying when someone shows an interest in your creative work so I appreciate Adam’s inquisitive enthusiasm. If you’re interested in learning more about my philosophies of art, photography and nature, please check out Adam’s article. Prepared by Adam Ziemba Dan Miller, a top 100 colored-pencil artist , was kind enough to share his experiences with and passion for fine art on our pages of Noble Portrait . Born to an artistic family in western Nebraska, Dan quickly discovered his lifetime passion for fine arts. Ever since he began with a pencil as a child, he has developed expertise in photography, writing, and oil and acrylic painting . Dan searches and seeks for truth in the world.

A is for Antelope My friend Courtney from Maui Jungalow contacted me and asked if I wanted to do something crazy. She informed me that she had entered an A to Z blogging contest and she challenged me to do likewise. The A to Z Challenge requires participants to publish a post almost everyday in April. Each post features a different letter starting with A and ending in Z. That's 26 posts in 30 days, Sundays are off for good behavior. That's not crazy, that's impossible. I have a hard enough time keeping up with one post a week much less six. I thanked Courtney for the invitation, let her know that it sounded like a bit much for me and wished her good luck. Of course, after further contemplation, creativity began to flow. I have thousands of photos stashed away in shoe boxes, maybe I could somehow incorporate them into a daily posting. I rummaged through the archives, hunting for inspiration. I guess I found it, because I signed up to take the challenge. My theme w

The Liebster Blog Award probably originated in Germany A couple of weeks ago I learned that my friend Judi Salzillo from 50 & Fabulous nominated Impression Evergreen for a Liebster Award. What's the Liebster Award you may ask? The Liebster is a form of special recognition that bloggers bestow upon their fellow bloggers. A way for us to share the work of our favorite independent publishers. The tradition appears to have originated in Germany and keeps plugging along like some kind of indestructible chain letter. If you choose to accept the award there are some tasks that must be completed to make it official. Here are the rules as Judi explained them to me. 1.  Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you. 2.  Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees. 3.  Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or