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.

Alma y Corazon

My second finished piece for our Tree of Life show: Alma y Corazon

The spanish translation is "Heart and Soul." It is a bit of a play on words as the idea comes from a Book of Mormon prophet named Alma. He spoke of faith being like a seed, planted in your heart. If you give it continual nourishment, it will sprout and grow into a tree with roots and branches that will bring forth fruit. Then, Alma wrote, "by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure." As a reward for your patience, diligence, and long-suffering, it is yours to feast on and yours to share.

(Alma chapter 32)

Bound

I just finished a slew of paintings and can't wait to share.  (A "slew" meaning 4)  Here is the first finished painting:Bound

When just a drawing, I wrote a poem about it.

Bound by a duty
That feels a little tight
Bound by love so strong
It holds me day and night
Bound and determined
Not to choke or suffocate
Bound to a promise
I cannot abdicate
Bound for eternity
Wrapped up in an embrace

Sunday Drawing

Painting (Summer Part Final)

I've met my deadline for my first Tree of Life painting. I cranked this out in my dad's studio in Utah. He pushed me to soften edges and refine bits. As I always do, I learned a lot from his and Cass' input.  I love watching my dad and my sister paint.  I'm sure we have more similarities than we realize, but we do things so differently.  

From her faith and desire for goodness,

A tree with fruit of the purest love sprouted atop her head.

She willed them to partake.

If she could squeeze every drop of love from her soul,

Could it be untainted, so clean and white?

They will partake, they will be safe, good and eternally hers.

Activities (Summer Part Three)

Yet again, I was not on the winning team. Six years and I have yet to get my name on the trophy. The plaque on the trophy will be full in a couple years. Maybe it is time to shoot the moon. The Fourth of July games were super fun this year. My team may not have won, but we were for sure the coolest. 

Don't forget about Fire Girls 550 South!  That was so dang fun.  I love to dance!

One of my favorite parts of my trip was biking early in the morning with my dad and my sister.  We are seriously sick bikers.The whole family, including my fun cousins, took a nostalgic hike up to Timpanogos Caves.  I hadn't been there since grade school.  It's quite a hike (especially with an extra 25lb on your back), but the caves are definitely worth it.On our way home we had a new adventure.  We detoured to southern Colorado and went to Mesa Verde to see the Pueblo peoples' ancient cave dwellings.  The girls loved it.  A perfect ending to our adventurous summer vacash.