Take a journey back in time to the year 1990. I was a fourth grader ready to join band. With excitement, I announced to my parents that I wanted to play the drums, when they said I could choose any instrument and join band. They rephrased the question: besides drums, you can play any instrument you want. I asked, “how about flute?” No. Saxophone? No. “You can play the clarinet like your sister,” my parents demanded, “That way, you can share her sheet music.” Bummer dude. Needless to say, band was short lived, I participated for two years.

I’ve never forgotten percussion instruments. I believe NBC was my favorite network because of their great 3 note sound tag line, played on bells. Ding, Ding, Ding.

Fast forward to about a year ago. At the wonderful Minneapolis store “I Like You,” I stumbled across a tongue drum. I had to have it. With no parents present to deny my purchase of a superfluous musical instrument, I brought it home.

I began dancing to the beat of my own drum (although many would argue I had already been doing this all my life). I played the drum daily after work and fell in love with its earthy sound.

Now, thanks to my extremely talented musician friend, Noah Hoehn, I have the opportunity to play on a real album, with a real musician’s credit to my name. Sure, I am purchasing this right on kickstarter, but my dream of becoming a real percussionist may be coming true.

This dream is only a maybe because in order for the album to become reality, Noah Hoehn needs his kickstarter to be fully funded by December 2, 2012. He is getting close! Please visit his kickstarter page, watch the video and consider backing the project.

With your help, I just might become a real percussionist.

Tonight I attended a great MPLS event, RAW Artist at the Fine Line. Friend Christy Johnson showed her shadow boxes, prints and cards. Love Christy’s new Minnesota postcard collection!

I love seeing local art, but mostly I love finding local jewelers. I love accessorizing. Rings, necklaces, earrings. Tonight I met Jennifer Merchant and I have to say, her jewelry line contains some of the most cutting edge, beautiful, unique jewelry I have seen in a long time. She fuses layers of acrylic together with clippings from magazines laminated in between. I love my new layered ring with yellow stone (see photos below). Pretty sure I also HAVE to have a pair of earrings! I love meeting the designers of things that I buy.

Did I mention the event also had a fashion show? I don’t know how I could have had a better night: art, art and fashion, baby.

Best day!!! And on a Monday! Not only did I get a shipment of shoes to try on from Zappos.com, some artwork in the mail from my 2-year old niece—but I also got my first roll of film back from the Diana camera! (This is actually the second roll that I photographed, the first is black and white and takes a whole week to develop.)

So with out further ado, here are my twelve shots in all their glory—the good and the not so good. I thought it would be fun to share the whole roll. All shots were taken in a 30 minute time period (I didn’t race to the end of the roll, I was just excited to shoot). All the shots are taken in my neighborhood on my regular walking route with the Toby (my dog). Photos are shown in the order in which they were taken and are shown as shot—totally analog.

Something I learned about Diana: she doesn’t like to focus at close range.

Don’t ya just love free stuff? With my last order from Veer (a stock photography website) I received a FREE Diana F+, a plastic medium format film camera. Even the lens is plastic. I was filled with joy as I unpacked the camera and read the instructions manual. With three f-stops (plus pinhole), three focus options and a shuttter speed of 1/60 of a second or longer, I couldn’t wait to buy some film and start shooting!

The 120 medium format film allows for 12 shots per roll. I chose Kodak’s 400 speed t-max black and white film. I’ve already taken 10 shots. I’ve captured shadows, leaves, naked trees, caution tape twisted up in branches and more. The beauty of shooting with film AND the Diana is that I don’t really know how the shots are going to come out. And by the time I take the film for developing, I won’t even remember what I photographed!

The suspense is fun and the upcoming feeling of surprise is going to be even better! Or not, depending on if I set my exposures correctly!

I long for spring. At this point, I can only imagine what it will feel like to lose the layers, put on a t-shirt, take a walk and breathe in the scent of spring. I imagine that I will go for a walk around Lake Calhoun, I’ll take a break half way around the lake and plop down in the grass. Surrounded by grass that’s been warmed by the sun, gravity will pull me down to it and I will lie on my back with a panoramic view of the sky. It’s a perfect, red-filter day—the cumulus clouds are set against a cool shade of blue. When shooting with black and white film, a red filter darkens the blue and lightens the red, so the white puffy clouds will really pop on photographs. Only this day I will not be armed with my camera—only my eyes—and my imagination will begin to drift as I see the clouds forming animals, people and objects.

Okay, I realize it is going to be months before I can let my imagination drift while lying on the bare ground, gazing at white puffy clouds. But that doesn’t stop my imagination from being full steam ahead in the winter. I just channel it in a different way—orange peels.

Citrus are in season. The sweet, juicy flesh of an orange is just what my spirit needs on a blustery, snowy day. I challenge myself with every piece of fruit that I’ll peel it on one piece. The peels make unusual and interesting shapes, which I interpret—just like the clouds—as animals, people or objects. See what I mean in the photos below. The rules of this game are to peel a piece of citrus in one piece, then lay the peel flat on the table, rotate and evaluate.

#1. It looks like a fish. A deep sea fish. Likely a new discovery deep int he depths of the ocean.

#2. Buttefly.

#3. From the torso up, it is a bowler, extending his arm back in perfect form. He got a strike. His face even features an eye, nose and mouth.

#4. Swiming toward the left, this is one angry shark. Watch out surfers!

#5. This small animal like organism has a cute head shape, with pig like snout and mohawk.

#6. This one is my favorite, it's a vulture perched on a tree branch about to take flight.

#7. The head of a triceritops, the body of an insect.

What do you see when you look at these images? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Today I spent my afternoon hanging out at a local Caribou Coffee shop for a summer art fair. I met some great artists—check out their work! To visit each artist’s website, click the photo. Or email the artist for more information.

Art by: Lisa Valley 20x20 digital art printed on canvas. For Sale $395 (send purchase inquiries to lisa@lisavalley.com)

Art by: Lisa Paul dog portraits www.lisapahlpaintings.com

Jewelry by: SHE Designs. Available for sale at: Whymsy, Krista Artista, Local Motion, Something Original or email shexclusive@gmail.com

Art by: Pieter J. Sibal www.pieterjsibal.blogspot.com

Art by: Kasie Gonczy email kasie_gonczy@mcad.edu

Jewelry by: SBG Designs www.sbgdesigns.com

Pottery by: Brian Johnson email brian_d_johnson3@msn.com

Jewelry by: Rolanda Taylor-Enroth www.3geminisjewelry.etsy.com

Art by: Kjirsten Hanson www.custommosaiccreation.etsy.com

Art by: Britt Howe www.coroflot.com/britthowe

Art by: Kim Jones email wildrosecottagestudio@yahoo.com

Art by: Marcy Lynn www.marcylynncollection.blogspot.com

Jewelry by: Sue Close email s-close@comcast.net

Art by: Andrew Schatz http://student.mcad.edu/~aschatz/index.php