dotty seiter: now playing diary of an artist at work

On My Nightstand, At My Easel 4/11/2024

On my nightstand:
At the moment of this writing,
I am typing into a laptop keyboard.
I first learned to touch-type
the summer of seventh grade
on an IBM Selectric.
Apparently,
using two spaces after a period
has become anachronistic.
But tell that
to my right thumb.
Dani Shapiro, Hourglass

On my easel:

Raised on a Farm North of Saskatoon
4 x 6″; acrylic and ink on paper canvas
dwelling and landscape
2024
  1. I had to work hard to switch from two spaces after a period to one. Like Dani Shapiro, I learned to type a long time ago. I was incredulous that such a hard and fast rule could be changed. But it was. And now, to my surprise, when I see text with two spaces after the periods, that second space catches my attention and feels wrong wrong wrong. Who’da guessed?
  2. Speaking of surprises, I’m not quite sure where this painting came from. But here it is.
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Dotty Seiter

12 responses to “On My Nightstand, At My Easel 4/11/2024”

  1. Joyful Puttering Avatar
    Joyful Puttering

    I’m chuckling at this post! I’m all over the place with my spaces after the period. Like you, my thumbs want to do the two spaces like I learned….but I find myself going back and changing some because it looks wrong. So EVERYTHING I write probably has a mixture of both. But as you know….I use the dot dot dots wrong to so I have to make peace with all my finger flaws! 

    And by the way….what a peaceful green farmhouse! 

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      I’m glad this excerpt from Hourglass struck a chord with you, too, MaryAnn! I first learned of the one-space-instead-of-two-after-a-period rule via kids I was tutoring. I kept correcting them, only to find out *I* was the one needing correcting.

      Thanks for your appreciation of my where-did-THAT-come-from green farmhouse, and for reflecting back its peacefulness.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. imajenationgmailcom Avatar
    imajenationgmailcom

    i still use two spaces! (Space space). The okd ways are sometimes still good, I say.

    where did this piece come from??? It is timeless and slightly ethereal. I love it madly!

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    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      Oh, Lola. You are spacier than I’d realized! 

      I’m enjoying the typo in your comment above, b/c it works. I read it as follows: The ok’d ways ARE sometimes still good!

      Ooo, thanks for reflecting back “timeless and slightly etherial.”

      Like

      Reply
      1. imajenationgmailcom Avatar
        imajenationgmailcom

        This is what happens when I type on my phone while drying my hair…OY!

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  3. Sheila Marie Delgado Avatar
    Sheila Marie Delgado

    I learned something new today. I use the three dots wrong too. Well, I knew that, I use them too often. But I also don’t put a space in front of them, as well as after. What? I am fairly sure no space is what I was taught. LOL.

    I love this warm, homey home. Perfect in Dotty green, with Dotty spots and splatters. I love all the texture throughout! And how it is firmly tucked into tall grasses.

    Thank you Dotty!

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    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      Sheila, did you know there’s a shortcut command for an ellipsis? On a Mac … option + ; on a QUERTY keyboard.

      Punctuation aside, thank you for your warm, homey feedback, your appreciation of the Dotty green, spots, and splatters, your enjoyment of the texture, and your noticing of the house’s being firmly tucked into tall grasses. That tucking in called to me!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Sheila Marie Delgado Avatar
    Sheila Marie Delgado

    Thanks so much, Dotty. 🙂 I tried … but it isn’t working. 😂 I tried in gmail. Then I started looking up how to do it in gmail. But none of them worked. 😂 And I tried it here in this comment, and nothing worked here either. It seems every app has their own shortcuts. Asi es la vida! (That is life) 😂 I will keep trying. Have a great one!

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    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      In Windows it’s alt + 0 1 3 3 on the numberpad. Which, I have to say, seems like no shortcut!!! Just type three periods hahaha!!!

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      Reply
      1. Sheila Marie Delgado Avatar
        Sheila Marie Delgado

        Haha, I think you are right, Dotty. Still not working for me.

        I can do ctrl+v, ctrl+c, ctrl+x, ctrl+z, and some others. So I don’t know why this won’t work. Haha. xoxo

        Like

  5. roseanne333 Avatar
    roseanne333

    Haha! I learned this new rule of punctuation sometime while darling daughter was in college. I fought it in the beginning, in vain, as we all found out. I like this study in green. I see blues and maybe Payne’s gray? Love that sky!

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    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      I’m enjoying everyone’s responses to the new rule of punctuation, your response included!

      Thanks for your feedback on this study. Cerulean blue, aureoline yellow, black, and white. Staying with that limited palette has challenged me but I like the challenge.

      Like

      Reply

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My Story

In 2014, I grab an unexpected opportunity to paint.

To make art.

I get hooked.

In 2015 I start a blog—a diary of my life as an artist.

I post my paintings and their stories. The good, the bad, the ugly.

My compass points: bust through fear, be playful, get messy, trust my gut.

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