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Good Fortune Studios

Beauty. Attention. Creation.

An Evening with… Gretchen Rubin

April 18, 2019 by Rayna Diane Hennen

An enjoyable evening & two good pieces of advice for those thinking about a career change.

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What Occurred to Me When Pruning My Azalea

May 26, 2018 by Rayna Diane Hennen

Top of a large pink azalea bush in bloom

I didn’t have a blog post in mind when I decided to tackle my forlorn azalea bush but I don’t argue when the content comes of it’s own accord.

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Painting: All because of a little catalog scrap…

April 23, 2016 by Rayna Diane Hennen

I love learning how other artists work, see their process unfold. I love all processes really – I love that show on the Discovery Channel How it’s Made. What I am learning to do now, besides paint, is learn to enjoy my own process, even though I don’t know what that this completely. The work of getting the greens right the first time and then redoing it the second time

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Painting Progress

August 6, 2015 by Rayna Diane Hennen

I realize I don’t really care much for being a beginner! I just want to already know how to do something, not fight my way through making things that don’t look like they did in my head or make the mistakes. Please know I am shaking my head at myself as I write this, somewhat chagrined and chuckling. I’m sure there are people out there who revel in the beginning

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A Wreath of Possibilities…

January 27, 2015 by Rayna Diane Hennen

What turns out to be some years ago now, I created a winter wreath. I wanted it to last for more than just the holidays both for frugality and because I lived in a little one bedroom with my boyfriend and there was no room for storage. Even though I now live in a slightly larger two bedroom, I still store my Christmas decorations at my mom’s! Ironically while dealing

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Exercising My Creative Chops

July 7, 2014 by Rayna Diane Hennen

In an effort to keep myself in the creative habit, I bought the book Creating Art at the Speed of Life: 30 Days of Mixed-Media Exploration (Amazon Associates Link). It’s 30 exercises for 30 days to just create. Will I do them all in a row? I doubt it – I have noticed not only distinct lack of routine in my life but also a distinct lack of being able

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Swap has been finished and sent!

February 15, 2014 by Rayna Diane Hennen

I finished the Ampersand swap project and, as often happens with art, it did not end the way I thought it would. I present Cheese & Crackers.

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First drops of paint

February 3, 2014 by Rayna Diane Hennen

Often the fear of not knowing what to do or the fear of doing something wrong stops us in our tracks and keeps us from starting. If we can let go of this fear, we open ourselves up to a much larger world of expression – a world where anything is possible.– Flora Bowley, Brave Intuitive Painting I wasn’t sure where to start. I’ve wanted to ‘know how’ to paint

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Getting started and going for a swap!

January 13, 2014 by Rayna Diane Hennen

The first project of the year will be a swap! The Sketchbook Project sets up these mini-projects to sign up for during the year outside of their self-titled, main project. The one I signed up for is called ‘The Ampersand Project’

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goodfortunestudios

Experiments in creativity and cringe. Join me!

Happiness hides in life’s small details. If you’re Happiness hides in life’s small details. If you’re not looking, it becomes invisible. - Joyce Brothers

#snowymoss
#snowymossontrees
#winterphotography
Continuing with the Bluebeard collage. After doing Continuing with the Bluebeard collage. After doing this I changed the blade on the xacto – the edges of the chair had white rough edges.

Bluebeard is originally a French folktale though many countries have a version. In the spirit of IMDB unhelpful, one-line descriptions of movies: A man with a deadly secret, intent on luring a young woman to be his new bride. 😄 🤷

A little more specific: The tale is about a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of the present one to avoid the fate of the previous wives. 🫣

This will be for the first spread, the ‘romance’ – truly, it’s not romantic, he’s trying to sway one of the sisters into, what will be a not so sweet marriage.

There will be 5 spreads total: the romance, finding the little door, the bloody key, the brothers to the rescue, and (kind of a gruesome end) the vulture.
We're getting closer to spring, which will be love We're getting closer to spring, which will be lovely but I do love winter. All seasons have beauty if you take the time to look (and dress warmly!) so I'll share some of my favorites while getting ready for spring 😊 

This is in my own front yard and I liked it immediately but liked it even more when I got it up on the big computer screen and could see the sun reflected in that little water drop! This one is available as a print.

#berriesinwinter 
#winterphotography 
#waterdropsphotography
Working on getting back to a rhythm of some kind a Working on getting back to a rhythm of some kind after unexpected time away. Looking at my last post, it was in October, which is kinda what I thought. From that point in October to the end of the year was a blur of physical pain that went on for weeks, then recovery, then a holiday, then an illness, then family and travel and another holiday and more travel and, well, I think I finally came up for air phew!! LOL

I have written or painted every day this week. After searching for a project, I think I'll go back to this project,  which I've been stuck on for a while. It will be based on the fairy tale Bluebeard.

Anyway, this project wasn't living up to what was in my head and I was making it too literal. I was sitting there bitching to myself and then I to me self, self:  you know you *could* just paint over what you've done and start over. 😄 Nothing gets by me, man!

I hope the health issues will stay at bay for a while because it really is true if you haven't got your health, what have you got and I much prefer not having pain and making things! You do have to give yourself grace sometimes and let some things go if you want to heal. 🤷‍

What have you been up to?

#embracethecringe #creativityandcringe
I was digging around in my closet for something an I was digging around in my closet for something and came across an older sketchbook, which of course derailed the search because I HAD to flip through it 😊

My Mom had this box for a long time, just sitting in a cabinet. It was just plain wood, the lid wasn't attached but it did come with the hinges. One summer I stole it, painted it and surprised her for Christmas. 

On slides 2 & 3 you can see the first sketches I made for the box. And slides 5 & 6 show where the next round of sketches ended up. Completely different direction as it turns out! Went for the Arts & Craft period style she loves.
This floral cone actually turned out all right! I This floral cone actually turned out all right! I haven't quite gotten the ribbon exactly right so sometimes this style hangs a little awkwardly. I have wall versions, that can hang on a hook but I'll be damned if I can find any photos of it on my phone 🧐 

Or the silvery one I made last year. You'll just have to trust me, ok? 😁
O-pin-ion: if you purchased these, would you expec O-pin-ion: if you purchased these, would you expect a hanger on the back (second pic)? 

In my head, because they have the wooden lip on the back, they hang flat against the wall. 

T'anks! 

Almost done - varnish coating left to go! Happy Friday 💃
New hearts ready to go. New hearts ready to go.
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