Hands, Oranges, and Florida

I love painting hands.  I'll admit, I like painting my own hands the best.  A familiarity thing I suppose.  When I paint my hands someone always says, "those are so your hands." (Ok, that someone is usually Gavin).  I am currently working on these paintings with "sewing" hands.I'd like to give a shout out to Florida. Apparently I have a blog-following in the Sunshine State (according to google analytics). So, hip hip and thanks.

Halloween

Aaaargh

Shiver me timbers, I think those are about the cutest pirates I ever saw.  Hope your Halloween was spooktaculair. 

NY

So I got back almost a week ago... I had to wait for my sisters to post about our trip so I could swipe their pictures.  (Cass always has her camera out, so I never need to get mine out and I end up without any pictures.) And now I am all backed up and Halloween is going to be so passe by the time I get to it...  

Anyway, we had a fabulous show in Connecticut.  The gallery looked great and the company was entertaining.  

We had a delightfully stretchy ride to the City where we perused the Met.

After that, we went our separate ways for the sisters three to have a cosmopolitan adventure.  And that we did.  Shop-shop-shopping from soaps to art supplies to trimmings to the most fabulous shoes.  We wore ourselves out and had a relaxing respite in the hotel sauna.  The weather was gorgeous, the food delicious, the art inspiring, and my sisters are still and always the best.  

It was hard to say goodbye.

Tree of Life Show

Tomorrow I am off to Connecticut.  I managed to put together a show of nine paintings to add to my dad and my sister's pieces.  You can get the low down on the show by visiting our Tree of Life blog.

Outside the Garden

Like the Cheribim with flaming sword set to guard the tree, 

I have built a wall of brick to keep them from plucking at me.

On the other side of my father’s garden’s wall

I’ll ponder alone the world it’s inhabitants and all.

It will be learned with clarity and grace

The garden is more than merely a place.

The cherished fruit is sweet with pure love

Grown and shared by my family below and above.

Weezer

We took the girls to a Weezer show at the Arizona State Fair. I freakin' love Weezer. The highlights of the night were the mini trampoline on stage, Rivers (the one with the sweet mustache) riding on the shoulders of a random, very large man to stroll through the crowd while playing his guitar, and just when she had about lost hope, closing with Delia's favorite Buddy Holly. Angels and Airwaves opened (potty mouths) and another band with Tokyo in the title.  Way fun night.  

Jack's Mannequin

Let me preface this story from the best weekend ever by telling you about one of my favorite bands, Jack's Mannequin. They just came out with a new album called The Glass Passenger that I absolutely love. Andrew McMahon, who writes the songs and plays the piano, was diagnosed with leukemia a few years ago. He has since recovered and used his experiences in some of the songs on the new album. I liked him before, but these new songs blew me away.  His song writing reminds me of the way I create my art.  It is in the translating of experiences, emotions and ideas.  Then, letting the viewer/listener gain understanding of the artists views or becoming something completely different, but meaningful to them.  That said, on with the story. So, Gavin was in LA all week taking a class.  Thursday he gets an email for a "secret" Jack's Mannequin show Friday night at the Viper Room (you know the place were River Phoenix died that was owned by Johnny Depp...) on the Sunset Strip.  How could he pass that up, he wanted to know, he was already there?  One problem, I was not there, and he was NOT going without me.  So, I flew to LA Friday evening and we drove to West Hollywood for the show.  Seriously about traffic in LA, it took forever to get there.  We parked around the back of the venue and walked up the hill to figure out where the doors are and whatnot, weaving through a clump of people on the sidewalk.  I'm squeezen' past this girl yappin' away about her job saying my excuse me's.  Gav catches up to me and says, "em, do you know you walked right past Andrew McMahon and he totally smiled at you?"  That took me a little by surprise, but when I had somewhat collected my whits, we went back and had a pleasant conversation with him and got his dad to take this picture of us.  Isn't it great when you meet someone you are a fan of and they are so nice that you like them and what they do even more for it?  Andy was really nice and friendly and cool.  Shorter and better looking in real life. I knew something magical was going to happen that night.  The show was really good too, small and cozy. He played every song from the new album and a couple of throw-backs. We drove home from there, all night long.  It wasn't easy keeping each other awake, but it was so worth it.

Remembering the Great Things of God

This painting is for the Museum of Church History and Art's International Art Competition. The theme for the exhibit is "Remembering the Great Things of God."

I remember the day my mom left, Gavin went to work, and I was left alone with my two year old little girl and my two week old baby.  As I ventured downstairs to make lunch for the first time as a mother of two, I was thinking wild thoughts about the craziness babies bring.  I was thinking, "Who in their right minds would choose to have a baby.  Considering the money and time they require.  Considering all the lost opportunities, adventures not taken, ambitions set aside as the world practically stops turning."  I thought the idea must come from on high, divine intervention to override the insanity of voluntarily asking for all this.  

At about this point, I set a sandwich in front of my darling daughter and she looked at me up through her thick long lashes with her big blue eyes.  She didn't say or do anything, just looked at me for a second.  It hit me so hard, it took my breath away and brought instant tears to my eyes.  It was as if the windows of heaven opened through her eyes and poured out its love and light on me.  All I could choke out was, "Oh.  OK."  My question was answered and I understood completely.  

Children are a precious gift.  It is an honor and our privilege to be their custodian for a time.  I want to remember this every day.  I want to feel this every time they look at me.  I want to give them so much love and treat them with the kindness that they deserve as children of our Heavenly Father.  

To serve our children is one of the greatest gifts God has given us.  I hope I captured that remembrance in this painting that I  am calling Windows of Heaven.

Naked

If you ever wanted to know what I look like naked, today I reveal all.  Cloe (4 years old) drew this picture of me with my towel, taking a shower.  Kids are so funny.

Back from Boise

Our Boise trip was a blast.

Signs with your name on it and flowers at the airport rock.

It's always a good time hangin' with my dad and my sister, talkin' art talk to our hearts content. We also talked the talk with one of my favorite artists, Bill Carmen. He had an opening the same night, so we stopped by and see his work, love it.

Gallery 601 is great.  It was a pleasure to introduce my art to the people of Boise.  And they fed us some seriously good food.

Downtown Boise is really fun.  We know because we kept getting lost and had the opportunity to see quite a lot of it.

It is always hard to say goodbye.  After some serious discussions, we are all geared up and just about ready ready for our Connecticut show.  I can hardly wait.  

Fire

So, my sister just posted about my dad telling her that, "It's time to put the sign on the door." He told me the same thing. He's talking about the sign on the closed studio door that says unless you are on fire, don't open this door. Our Tree of Life Show is in a couple weeks and we are trying to bust out some paintings.The thought of closing my door and making myself delightfully oblivious to my 3 small children makes me smile.  School is out, so in addition to the running bathroom sink waiting for discovery, soggy toilet paper and doll on the wet bathroom floor, little piles of chips on the couch and vicks vapor rub on every surface of their room, I get to hear, "she smacked my head... well she kicked me in the face... she took my polly pocket... she told me I'm out of her favorites..."  All this before noon.  As appealing as it might be to put a dead bolt on my door and play music really loud, I just don't think I could away with it.  

These innocent little angels?  Looks can be deceiving, 

suspect #1 on the far right.

Tomorrow we are off to a print signing in Boise.  A much needed respite before the final crunch.   

Kingdom Animalia

My Sunday project:  A new string of paperdolls.

I painted a brick wall today.

A Few of my Favorite Things

Have I mentioned how much I love homemade granola?  I really do.

Here is what else I love:

My new shoes.  Hot tamale!
And, Somerset Studio magazines.  I particularly love this Halloween issue full of paper and mixed media spooktaculair.

Moms

I ran. I braided and packed them up for school. I took my turn in the carpool. I dropped baby off and went to teach Art Masterpiece to second graders. Lunch, daipers, pick-up, after school snack. I made dinner, cleaned up, made granola (yum)... Now I am tired and want to go to bed. When does that leave time to squeeze in painting?  Everyone asks me how I find time to paint.  Days like today, I really don't know.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get more than a ten minute stint.  Hopefully.  I really love painting. 

(Cloe took this picture and made me laugh with her art direction.  She's a funny kid.  They really are worth every non-painting minute.) 

New Stuff

A new painting.

A newly finished painting.

A new start to a string of paper dolls.

Library

I was anxious to confiscate our dining room table (that we never ever use) for my studio. But what to do with a dining room with no table? Lucky for sisters, one of mine suggested I make it a library. Loved the idea so I did it. Now I have a sturdy, spacious sewing/craft table in my studio. Sweet. And I have this bookshelf to arrange and rearrange at my pleasure. Oh ya, and to display my gorgeous books.

What's more, I sold the six chairs and bought this one to make a cozy reading corner. Which is good because I dearly love to read.

Satchel

I'm loving this painting.  And my stripped pjs.  It is for our Tree of Life show (the painting, I'm not wearing my stripped pjs to the gallery).  I think my very busy life is suppressing the poet in me.  Hmmm... Satchel Tree, Satchel Tree.  Open the flap and you will see, my Satchel carries the fruit from my Tree.  Tree Satchel, Tree Satchel.  Close the bag, can you tell? The fruit is fragile in my canvas Satchel.

Did Satchel just become a weird word for you too?  I had to look it up to make sure I was still spelling it right.  I assure you, it is correct.  Unfortunately, I am going to work on the painting, not my poetry just now.  Sorry, I'll make it up to you soon.  

Paper-dolls

OCPD:  Obsessive Compulsive Paper-doll Disorder

I am absolutely obsessed with paper-dolls.  I have lost all self control and I can't stop.  Here is my latest creation, hanging in my entry.  I'm hoping I can use Christmas as an excuse to feed my addiction.    

21 Under 31

My copies of the September issue of Southwest Art magazine came! Here is my debut as an emerging artist in their annual 21 Under 31 feature.

All You Need is Love

Gavin and I had our 10th anniversary.  Time flies.  We went to Las Vegas for the weekend to see the Cirque du Soleil Love with Beatles music.  It was really fun.  A few minutes in, I leaned over to Gav and said, "Man I wish I was in the show." In my next life I aspire to be a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, for sure.  We also saw The Dark Night in IMAX.  That was cool.  And, we sat in our nice hotel room and read all morning.  You can do that when you have been married ten years.  Ten wonderful years.

She Wore her Heart on her Apron Pocket

Knot

I am finally calling this painting finished.  I tweaked everything, but the noticeable difference will be the orange poppies.  Aaah, poppies.  I have never had opium, but it sure does sound nice. Let's say her poppies come in the form of her analgesic/angelic husband just outside the frame on his way to untie her knot.  She shakes out her arms and lets out a long deep sigh.  Swiftly his long cold fingers loosen the ties and the apron falls to the table perfectly folded.  "Thanks" she says as she turns into his arms.  He slowly inhales her scent and she gets a little light headed.  Oh, sorry, just warming up to disappear into Breaking Dawn.