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Friday, October 30

New prints




I picked up my work from the printer today and I'm so happy with the color & quality. It's tough to get a reproduction that captures the original. There are always differences, the question is just how much. I went to a local printer (Anderson Stationers) and he did such a great job matching the colors.

So... here are some of the pieces I have been working on... and I can officially say that I am done with them!

Thursday, October 29

Off to the printer...





So I got 15 (yes 15!!!) paintings off to the printer today to make prints for the street fair Sunday. While I should probably be sleeping I can't stop wandering around grabbing inspiration from so many great blogs out there.

Wednesday, October 28

Progress

Okay, I am making some progress over here and it feels so stinkin' good! I finally feel like I'm moving forward, albeit at a snail's pace.

I'm spending my days dressing up like a banana (that might be what is slowing me down)and my nights getting ready for the Carlsbad Street Fair on Sunday. Yes, friends, this Sunday. As in, 3 days from now.(Insert &86%#$@%^ here. Take a deep breath. Sip freshly brewed coffee at 11:21PM. Keep going...Si, se puede!)



So, today's progress included adding charcoal (the almost-final stepin the whole process)to my home series: 8 home collages that I'm feeling a little insecure about right now. They are so fresh. It's a good thing I don't really have time for insecure/vulnerable art feelings right now. I've got to get these babies sprayed with fixative and off to the printer tomorrow.

So here's where we are so far...





A baby and his banana

Oh, how I love Halloween! And yes, that's me. I'm the banana.
Okay, I have to admit. One of the reasons I wanted to procreate was to have an excuse to have a big plastic bin labeled "dress up" in my garage and to use it often. Anyone in need of a banana suit?

Today was a total turning point in our monkey training. So, ever since we got this monkey his costume, the day Target put them on the shelves, we've gone through rigorous training. Really. Me, my husband, my mom,& my dad have been been jumping around like monkeys for way too long.

And today was a total turning point for us. All of our hard work paid off. Someone call Oprah. I have a gifted monkey on my hands here folks...



I know this picture is blurry, but I love his expression here. So, today when he put the monkey suit on he was so tickled with himself, he started running (running) around the house giggling, with his hands in his armpits like a chicken. Classic. Then I took him upstairs to get a good full length look at himself and he did his wholechicken/monkeyroutine again, just giggling. So pleased with himself.I can't even stand the cuteness...

Tuesday, October 27

Fun quotes to inspire art...


Fun quotes to inspire art sometime in the future... not any time soon, but eventually...

I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us - don't tell! They'd banish us, you know”
Emily Dickinson
We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw

Forget love, I'd rather fall in chocolate.”

That it will never come again is what makes life sweet. Emily Dickinson

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”
Emily Dickinson

“Be careful what you wear to bed at night, you never know who you'll meet in your dreams.”

But I don't want to go among mad people," said Alice. "Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here."” Lewis Carroll quote

Begin at the beginning,", the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop” Lewis Carroll quote

The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday - but never jam today.” Lewis Carroll

One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others” Lewis Carroll

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?” Lewis Carroll quote

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” Helen Keller quote

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” Anne Lamott

Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.” Lewis Carroll quote

That it will never come again is what makes life sweet. Emily Dickinson
A hundred years from now? All new people.
Anne Lamott

Sunday, October 25

Thoughts on HOME...




“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.”
Matsuo Basho



As I'm madly getting ready for my 2nd Street Fair and trying not to completely neglect my family and get some amount of sleep... I'm so caught up and inspired by the possibilities of so many ideas...

Home is the idea that I keep coming back to...
Because I've been home full time, spending time with my 14 month old (my kindergarteners are on a 2 week vacation)I've been thinking about being intentional about what kind of home I want to create for my husband & my baby & myself & my friends & family...

I'm so thankful for our physical home. It's a gift from God. I really never expected or thought we would get a real home, here in Southern California, and it is a definite financial stretch, to say the least, but it really is a dream come true... it's where we want to be, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We've been here for a little over a year and it so feels like home to us. But even more than the paint & wood & pictures on the wall...

As I explore this idea of home I can't help but think...
What kind of home do I want to create?

love... but really, I mean what does that mean? what does that look like?
acceptance
patience
adventure
joy
faithfulness
prayer
peace
wisdom
generousity
communication
authenticity
belonging
contribution
laughter
stability
silliness
possibility
uniquely us
hot coffee & chocolate chip cookies
hand made stuffs
photos everywhere

We get to make our home whatever we want it to be...or at least try to make it what we want it to be...
Our own little nest.
Our place of possibility.
Our sanctuary from the world.
Our place of love & acceptance.
Our place of connection where we are intimately known & celebrated.

Really, anything is possible... we are the makers of our home... with a lot of wisdom and patience and help from Jesus...

I'm off to create... I'll be back very soon...

Saturday, October 24

Little Treasures



“Develop an interest in life as you see it;
the people, things, literature, music-
the world is so rich,
simply throbbing with rich treasures,
beautiful souls and
interesting people.
Forget yourself.”
Henry Miller



I love the way this baby finds treasures everywhere. He could spend all day exploring our little backyard, creating new adventures all day long. A rock. A wood chip. A flower. I have a lot to learn from him...

Thursday, October 22

My Lowly Worm dream come true! Here he is!

Now why didn't I think of this?!? I just found this and I had to share. Finding Lowly Worm on each page of Richard Scarry's Busy Town books was our nightly ritual, as a kid. He is my favorite. I've collected a bunch of Busy Town books for the baby, so we can start this game again. I know what we're doing for his 2nd birthday, but I better start sewing now... This is so fun.

Click here! I promise, you won't regret it.

Home Series

I have tons of thoughts flying through my mind as I explore this idea , but for now I'll show you what I'm working on...
Phase 2:Pretty paper & paint. Yum.


Backgrounds & Beginnings...


Today I remember why creating stuff is a nessecity to life, like bread and water, not a pedicure (as my friend Ginger would put it. She has such a great way of putting things). Painting and creating breathe life into my soul and my mind. Creating just makes me feel so... hopeful and full of possibility, like I am doing what I was created to do. It makes me feel so... at home.

That's the kind of day I had today. Kind of like when my kindergarten girls dress up as fairy princesses, and there is no doubt in their mind that they actually are fairy princesses. that's what I feel when I create. Like a fairy princess.

So, I had two whole hours to be creative this afternoon and here's what I did: backgrounds for new collages. I plop the paint out directly on the canvas to start my background. I use at least two colors and blend them together. I love to see how the paints mix together on the canvas. I'm also enjoying "blending" the paint with a squashed up paper towel, so that the colors don't blend together so much.

"Come home, come home, all who are weary come home..." I listened to Sara Groves "Jesus Calling" as I painted and no matter where my mind wanders... it keeps coming backto explorethis idea of "Home"...





Tuesday, October 20

The Laundry Saga Continues...

Ya know how you start the laundry and then the baby just won't tolerate any more laundry so you take a little break, like say, for a week, and you have to rewash the moldy clothes that you forgot about in the washer... and you can't remember what's clean and what's dirty anymore...?

So, by the time you start to finish the laundry you have a whole bunch of new dirty laundry to do? ya know what I mean?

Today's mission: laundry & do something (ANYTHING) creative, which means allowing my creative supplies to explode into the kitchen so I can play with baby & be creative all at the time... I'm working on it... I'll let you know how it goes, buit I'm a little desperate for creativity right now and I'm feeling kinda silly, so anything can happen at 644 Sonoma Street today. anything. the world is my rice krispie treat & I'm gonna make something happen... more to come...

Monday, October 19

Blogging inspiration...

I've finally snuck in some timeto catch up on myfavorite blogs and i am SO inspired to go create stuff. Holy cow. the creativity and inventiveness of my sisters out there blows me away and awakens my creative self to go create, create, create... scones, Halloween yumminess, little triangle fabric banners. I can't stand it. My mind is about to explode from all of these ideas floating around.

Here is what I'm loving right now, are you ready?

1. One of these nifty fabric banners for my booth at the Carlsbad Street Fair on Nov. 1 (just 13 days and counting!) yikes. I better get painting and creating...

2. These yummy scones for the family and my dear partner in kindergarten: the lovely Alice, who is coming over to play and drink hot beverages with and the little one tomorrow.

3. These beautiful (maybe personalized?) stationery sets made from hand carved wooden stamps. Just the thought of carving astamp makes me heart leap with possibility. I haven't carved a stamp since 7th grade at Diegueno Jr. high with Mr. Hawkins. I remember it vividly...

4. These luscious Halloween creatures (yum is all I can say). I want myhouse to look like this.

Sunday, October 18

Things come undone...

We went to the pumpkin patch last week.... so fun! This baby rode on a tractor, in a wheelbarrow, on daddy's shoulders and finally... a pony! Yes, he rode a pony. He was so thrilled with himself, but he really didn't want anything to do with the animals at the petting zoo.
I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged. I miss my computer! Ever since thisbaby started walking/running I fall down on the couch the minute he goes to bed. I can barely brush my teeth and most tof the time I save tyhe dishes for morning (and hate myself in the morning)...
So, my new challenge for myself:
Walk every day.
Blog every day. Even if it's just a thought or a sentence or a wondering. I love getting on to read my favorite blogs and feel connected again...
It's so easy to get disconnected so quickly...
and another challenge: try to make art!!! how? I haven't figured that one out yet... I need to make myself begin... and then I get into the zone... beginning is the hardest part. darned inertia. darned that... what's the 2nd law of thermodynamics where things come undone?!?! can I blame my jiggly arms on that?!?