December Challenge..ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

HO HO HO. Tis the Season to be Jolly!!! You can get your jollies right here on Windows to the Words by participating in our "Paint Your Own Present" Challenge. What you do is create a painting...or a drawing...an artwork of what you'd like to get for Christmas. Want a new laptop? A new Lexus? A 30 foot yacht? A lump of coal? Paint it and send it in. My cast of judges will pick their favorite and the artist will receive a package of James' Tiny Treasures.

Now....Just in case you already have everything....you can do a rendition of one of the following reference photos. Or you can do both. Just have fun and be merry.



Send your artwork to.... jpolderndirt2@yahoo.com by Jan.1

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!

THANKS GIVING CHALLENGE

November is just one of the twelve months in which we should give thanks for the great stuff in life. So this month's challenge is based on my FIVE F's for Thanksgiving... Faith ... Family ... Friends ... Freedom ... Food. Below are 5 photo references for this month's challenge...Giving Thanks: Oh...and Thanks for participating.

FAITH

FAMILY


FRIENDS


FREEDOM

FOOD

Please send your submissions to windowstothewords@gmail.com by December 1.

October Challenge...SCARY STUFF...Plus more

SPECIAL NOTE.... Please, please, please click on Enjoy the Ride in the top right of this page, and, well, Enjoy!!!


The September "Cats Up" challenge has ended, and some marvelous submissions were received....click HERE to view. My sincere thanks to those that took the time to participate. And THE WINNERS...........

First Place ($25 WalMart certificate)
Olga Wagner

Second Place (5 x 7 original of choice)

Elizabeth Pearson

Third Place (Tiny Treasure GrabBag)
Gwen Bell

The October ART Challenge is SCARY STUFF. I spared y'all the discomfort of posting Rush Limbaugh in Speedo's or Cousin Fred's bratty little kid dressed up as Spiderman. I left out cats, too, because Michelle Burnett's cat, Figaro's eyes are still following me around the room. What I have presented below are of a more mystical and serious nature, and may provide a quite marketable painting for you after the challenge has come and gone. These images are copyright free and I invite you to add to or remove from, any elements as you see fit.

AND..... ONE SPECIAL PRIZE. Of the submissions, I will make a random drawing for a greatly sought after, dearly prized, and world famous "JAMES' Tiny Treasures and Curiosity GrabBag" This will be a little box of surprises that I accumulate from my wanderings, put in a neat little box, and foist off, er, award to some lucky winner each challenge. Could contain durn near anything... collector's stamps, garage sale leftovers, precious mementos, old hundred dollar bills....well, maybe not. But, it's sure to be a lot of fun, if nothing else. So send them paintings on in.

THESE ARE THE REFERENCE PHOTOS TO WORK FROM.......

ANGKOR WATT
Angkor Watt in Cambodia, has been one of my favorite places in the world for absolutely fascinating mystery. I've just finished reading James Rollins' "The Judas Strain" and now it is even more spooky.

PHOTOGRAPHERS.... The photo challenge for October is for seasonal scenes of
anything we should be thankful for..... autumn foliage,
family dinners, lovers in the park, squirrels feeding on
nuts, nuts feeding squirrels, ...you get the idea. Send your
jpegs to jpolderndirt2@yahoo. com by October 31.

Photo Challenge for SEPTEMBER...Scary Stuff

NOTE.... The ART Challenge "CATS UP!!" Blog directly follows this one Below...........................

Oh Tay, Buckwheats....here's the scoop for shudderbugs. The photos submitted before October 1 will be used to select 3 reference photos for the OCTOBER WTTW ART Challenge. Find something REALLY scary for the Halloween challenge. There's all kinds of scary stuff out there....your grandkids in their Halloween costumes...moldy gravestones...spiders in the attic...the inside of my refrigerator...Rush Limbaugh in Speedos.


Use your imagination (and a camera) and send your shockers to JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com.

CATS UP! September Art Challenge

Surprise, Surprise (I sound like Gomer Pyle). Something new at Windows to the Words Art....prizes. The entries received will be displayed at the next painting session of The Bunkhouse Gang at the Dena Wenmohs Bunkhouse Gallery in Cypress Mill, Texas. The artists present (usually 12 to 20) will secretly cast their votes (very unbiased). The following blog on WTTW and James Parker Art will announce the winners who will be awarded... FIRST...$25 Hobby Lobby or WalMart gift certificate. Second...An 8x10 signed Giclee print of mine (your selection) and Third... a "Texas Surprise" packet (could be almost anything...an Alamo keychain and an Armadillo hatpin. A year's supply of Wick Fowler's 4 Alarm Chili. A book from the personal George Bush Library, "Common Sense in Government"...completely unused, mint condition. Not a whole lot of monetary worth, but kinda fun, dontcha think?

So...brush in hand, whiskers in place, and catnip in pocket, Here are the 4 reference photos to choose from for the September "CATS UP" challenge for WTTW. Submit to JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com by October 1. Have fun.

Submitted By
Ron Fenley


Submitted By
Ron Fenley


"Figaro" Submitted by
Michelle Burnett


Submitted by
Olga Wagner

August Art Challenge....SUMMER STUFF

Well, we kinda goose-egged the photo submissions for summer scenes, so I came up with four subjects to choose from for this month's challenge...

Some of us were crazy enough to go kayaking

Some of us took the kids to the zoo

Some of us went to SeaWorld

And some of us went to the Park


And those are the Four Subject choices for August. Brush in hand! Colors on Palette! Paint!

Send your submissions to jpolderndirt2@yahoo.com

Check the following blog for the PHOTO subject.....CATS

August Challenge for PHOTOGRAPHERS... CATS

Okay, shutterbugs!!!!! This month's subject is CATS...Felines...Mousers.
Should be an easy project. Everybody has a cat. If you don't have one, I can send you one of my neighbor's. You know, dogs treat you like royalty. Cats treat you like staff. But they can be cute....so send me some cute pictures.

July Challenge for Photos...SCENES OF SUMMER

Keep your camera handy and snap a photo of "Summer Stuff"... whatever seems remindful of Summer. Maybe kids playing in the pool. Maybe that bikini walking by the pool. Birds in the birdbath. Broken thermometers. Half eaten hot dogs. You and your friends playing volleyball. Me in the shade watching you and your friends playing volleyball.

Use your imagination. The best three scenes (photos) will be selected as reference for the August Painting Challenge. Send your shots to JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com by August 1.

July Art Challenge...DOGS

The Art Challenge for this month is DOGS...the four reference dog photos are posted below. Pick one, or two, or all....do a poochie portrait and send it to me by August 1. TWEEDLES
submitted by Tweedles



ROSCOE PARKER
submitted by Dena Wenmohs
The Bunkhouse Gallery and Artist Retreat


BAKSHIE




"Laid Back"
submitted by Maggie Mayer

JUNE CHALLENGE (Photographers)...DOGS

DOGS will be the next challenge (JULY) for WTTW artists, so send in some really nifty POOCH SHOTS for the CANINE CAMERA. Up to 3 images per contributor unless I run into dog blog clog. Send to JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com

JUNE CHALLENGE (Artists).....OLD FOLKS

I have always been fascinated by the wrinkles on the faces of old folks. Now that I can see those wrinkles in the mirror every morning, I feel a bit differently. Still fascinated, mind you, but my perspective has changed to beat all get out. Each facial line and crease ,could, if possible, read like a library of emotions...the troubles and pain, the joys and delights, the toil and effort, the stress and temptation....the novel of a life, written in wrinkles instead of words.

So this brings us to this month's challenge. I received very few submissions for the reference subject, but Liz Holmes provided a couple and I just added to them. I placed four images in this month's challenge for the plain and simple reason of equality...two women and two men. The picture of Willie Nelson has some minimal acknowledgement data on it, but it's a cool reference image. I'm gonna put on "Blue Skies", "You're Were Always on My Mind" and "Poncho and Lefty" and slap the paint on. If Willie has any problems about me using this photo...well, he lives just down the road from me, and can just come over and kick my butt...or sit down and have a cup of coffee.

Anyway, hope to have some good submissions. This one should be fun. Send me your entries to JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com





by July 1.

MAY CHALLENGE...Sunrise - Sunset

Sunrises and Sunsets have always seemed to me to be an ideal subject for artwork. First, they are beautiful. Second, they are colorful. Third, there's flexibility in rendering the subject, regardless of the medium. Fourth, if you don't really care for a particular sunrise/sunset, just wait a few moments and it will change...or come back tomorrow for a new one. And fifth, they have you looking in the right direction for inspiration.

Below are the three reference photos for the month of May. Try your palette at depicting one or two them and submit it to me. Then, go out and enjoy some real ones.

APRIL CHALLENGE...3 New Cuties

For the April Challenge, Choose 1, or 2, or 3 of these cute kid photos and, applying paint to canvas, or other suitable material, provide a likeness that could be considered a portrait. Once you have done that, you will feel soooo much better

Submit to............Windowstothewords.gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS
Around 6 PM or so, get a cold libation of some sort, grab your camera and a loved one....go sit in a nice comfy place and enjoy a beautiful sunset. Take a picture of it, too, if you think about it. Send it to the address above for the..
MAY "Sunrise, Sunset" CHALLENGE

UPCOMING CHALLENGES

This is primarily for Photographers
(so you can keep your camera ready for that "perfect shot")
3 photos will be selected from the Photo entries for the following month's Artwork and Writing Challenges
THE SUBJECTS ARE..

APRIL... "That Perfect Sunrise/Sunset"
MAY... Old Folks... "Love Them Wrinkles"
JUNE... Dogs.. "Pooch Portraits"
JULY... "Scenes of Summer"
AUGUST... Cats... "Meow Pow-Wow"
SEPTEMBER... Halloween... "Scary Stuff"
OCTOBER... Thanksgiving..."Season Scenes"
NOVEMBER... Christmas Special Surprise
DECEMBER... New Year Special Surprise

These are the child photos for the March Challenge

Artists...Select a photo and make a painting or drawing from it. Title it, include the size and medium, and submit it. For this first month you can submit on one, two or all subjects. Submissions will be posted as received on WTTW ART....in 4 weekly sections.

Photographers...Take a picture of a cute child and submit it. Three photos will be selected from March's submissions for April's Artist Challenge. Submissions will be posted on WTTW PHOTO

Writers...Submit a SHORT poem or reflection or cute story about a child or children. Submissions will be posted on WTTW WRITING

Submit to (don't forget your link)... windowstothewords.gmail.com

THIS IS IT

ANNOUNCING!!!!!!!OKAY.......THIS IS IT..........PROMISE!!!


I used to have a saying..."Just when I learned how to play, they went and changed all the rules". I have received a bunch of comments and suggestions on how to do this project. I put them all together and think (and pray) this may be THE WAY. Please read the amended guidelines on the right and PLEASE leave me a comment or E-Mail me (JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com).

SCHEDULE
March 1... I will post 3 photos of children right here.

Art... Submit a painting based on one of those photos
Photo...Submit a great photo of a child
Writing....submit an inspirational reflection, or poem, or piece of writing about a child

Getting Started

PLEASE NOTE!!! Refer to the Feb. 21 Blog (THIS IS IT) for complete guidelines.

Most of you who are reading this will be familiar with a very talented artist...Karin Jurick. Her work has been featured in SW Art and numerous publications and blogs. This issue of American Artist features her on the cover. I ran across her artwork and blog while browsing through the "Painting a Day" project. Her blog led me to her other blog "Different Strokes From Different Folks" which she had just started in September. Her dog, Jack, had parted from this world, and she had posted a photo of him and a painting she had done of him in remembrance. Because of her talent, openness and down-to-earth manner, Karin had already developed a sizable group of followers/admirers to her blog. A number of them responded to her loss with their own artwork version of Jack, in a show of sympathy and empathy. This provided the spark from which DSFDF began. Karin posts a photo every other Wednesday. Participating artists submit their interpretive rendering of that photo to Karin and she posts the results. No prizes. No Confetti. Just an ideal opportunity for artists to work around a common theme in a comfortable framework. Projects like the recent "Artist Portrait Exchange" encourage participating artists to "Internet Interact" creating bonds and relations that would have never occurred otherwise. Due to Karin's hard work and genuine desire to help others, the success of DSFDF may prove to be both a "kick-start" and "stepping stone" for participating artists.
I would imagine, due to the success of DSFDF, that there will be copycat programs in the future. The outcome of those projects will depend on the concern, skill and hard work of the originator....more so than the participants.

This Windows to the Words challenge project is not an imitation or copy cat of Karin, but rather a tribute and a "child" of her inspiration. By incorporating photography and writing, I hope to "widen the playing field". The introduction to so many wonderful artists and the fellowship that has developed from participating in DSFDF has meant so much to me. I hope this project can spring forth similar fruit.

I need comments, suggestions, opinions and a peanut butter sandwich. Please drop me a note at JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com or leave a comment below. I need your help........James