How it came to be.

I know there are some folks out there praying for me and I just want you to keep it up cause it is working!!!
I feel a definite improvement today!
I am not all the way to being back in the saddle, but think in another few days that may be the case.
Figuratively, of course!!!!!
That gives me a little boost.
It is not my nature to be down in the dumps, even a tiny bit, so I am glad to be on the upswing.

I have really wanted to feel half way decent when writing out my watermark story.
Mainly because I had another person make a huge investment in that project and wanted to give her appropriate props!!!

So here we go! I hope this isn't dreadfully boring to you, it is fun for me!

About two months ago my friend Rachel (You know the one I am talking about right; I have mentioned her several times) and I were working on a project together.
Okay truthfully, she was doing the work and I was just bossing her.
Don't be hating me! She has a computer program and the skills to run it, and I was the artistic adviser! It was my "job" to be bossy.
Let's face it, she is a left brainer and I am a right brainer.
Together we can do much!!

I mentioned to her that I had a concept idea for my watermark.
I felt confident that I could draw it out, but knew that I would need some help converting it to a digital image.
And please...I don't even begin to know how to make it see through!!!
I imagined a waterwheel, wood siding and the word waterhouse, and told her thus.
At least I think I did, it was a long time ago.
She assured me that all of those things were items she could convert to digital, and I filed that info away for later use.
I had no doubt that Rachel was the right person to work on this with...I have seen some of her other work and have always been impressed.

We are both busy moms with lots of other irons in the fire, so it was awhile before we got back together on this concept.
I finally sat down one Saturday and physically drew out what I had imagined in my mind, now minus the wheel, cause I just couldn't get it to work out right...mentally.

Please hold all comments, you jokers!!!

I took a photograph of said sketch and sent it along to Rachel.
She created a digital image from my sketch and sent it back to me.
Don't hate me Rachel, I am gonna put that image here.
It is not pretty folks, but shows how far the design progressed.


I do believe Rachel is the most patient person on the whole entire planet as she adjusted things to my liking.

That line is too square.
Those lines are too close.
I want cursive, but not fancy cursive.
The h is too tall, can you make it shorter?
The line just below the base is too thick, can you make it thinner?
The slant on the roof is too slanted, can you bring it down until it is just right?
Do the planks of the house look like prison bars, should they be thinner or rounded looking?
And on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.
Every time I asked, she delivered!!!

I also want to point out that Rachel is kind of a froo-froo person.
She has a simple, classy elegant style that translates to so much of what she does.
A girly-girl who wears pearls really well.
I am not!
I am more of the understated down to earth type.
We vary greatly style wise, but this NEVER got in the way of our cooperative efforts.
She did not try to change the direction of what I wanted ever, only sought to make it more refined and as put together as possible.
I am so, so thankful for that!
What a really special quality she has there!

So, this is what we ended up with next.

I told her that it was very important to me to work in that little bit of a J curve at the far left edge of the house.
You know J for Jennifer!

Then Rachel went all crazy on me and added a waterwheel and water.
Truthfully, I hated it at first.
Yes, I know I said I wanted a waterwheel at first, but I had moved on from that.

It seemed awkward to the eye after looking at this planks and words design for so long.
But, I let it ruminate and began doing some sketching from her new concept and sent her another email photograph.

At this point I got the itch!
That little feeling of glee that let's you know you are on to something great!
Bits of endorphins start cursing through your body while all the pieces seem to start to come together.
Does this only happen during the artistic process or do other groups of people also feel this sensation?
Someone please back me up, I am not crazy here!!

The next thing that happened was that Rachel went to a Jimmy Buffet concert.
No really, this seemed to be the pivotal point in the process...well maybe that and the 500 emails from me saying I really really needed it!
I mean I did, but not enough for her to work on it after a concert late at night...when she is usually sleeping and has 2 children that depend on her in the mornings. I also found out later that she was out of coffee creamer that next morning, so this did turn out to be a major sacrifice on her part!!!
Out of coffee creamer people! That is serious stuff.
If you don't know what I am talking about then....
then...
then...
...well ya just don't.
When she got home, I assume she was too hyped up to sleep and put some time in on tweaking our latest round of adjustments.
This arrived to my inbox sometime after midnight.

I printed it out, and held it in my hand skipping about the house with it as my children looked at me like I had lost it...again!!!
I will say though that after shaking off the morning fuzz, my daughter took a look at it and immediately "got" what I was hoping for.
While Waterhouse is not my last name, it is derived from that word.
She remarked..."Oh I get it, that is like our name but longer!!"

Then she got that little grin on her face that I love so much and said, "Hey, wait a minute this has your letters too!"
YES!!!!
It worked!!!
You see, my initials are JDW!

Go ahead, scroll back up and check it out, you will see it too!
Pretty cool huh?
All a part of design and conquer!!!

Rachel also made a white version, a black and white version, and an all brown version!
Something to suit any type of picture I take!

Whoa, I feel so official!
Well, a watermark does not a photographer make...or so they say.
I don't know who says that but it is true.
I guess I said it huh? Ha ha!
What I mean is, I am gonna keep on working my skills and grow right into this watermark!!!