With Strings

I kind of forgot I had a blog.  Summer fun, it gets a little crazy.  Before I get into that, I thought I would explain about the pieces in my last few posts.  These are for the show I am having at Art Access in Salt Lake with my dad and sister this September.  
They started as pencil drawings on gessoed paper.  Then I crackled, glazed, and added a little color.  I have had way too much fun making these.  It's all my favorite parts; I love drawing, and the magic of crackle and glazing is a scrumptious treat.

Early Girl

Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket

We needed an adventure today, so I took the kids to Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket.  It's so cool!  It is a huge market with crazy foods from all over the world, live catfish and other sea creatures in tanks (which made delia glad she is a vegetarian, but not cloe), bizarre fruits and veggies, and lots of tofu.  We thought we were safe with sweet treats, so we all picked out a fancy wrapped confection.  Just before we left I spied some big fat straws and knew we had found a treasure - BOBA!!  We love boba (big black slippery tapioca balls) smoothies.  They take five minutes to cook, so we wipped up some after-swimming-boba smoothies to wrap up our adventurous day.

p.s.  I'm dying over cloe's (middle child) sun-kissed freckles.

The Last Carrot

What's up with this carrot?  It got buried under my gargantuan tomato plants and we forgot about it.  We pulled it up today and each broke off our choice nubbin to eat.  It was like a mystic family good luck ritual.  I'm excited to see what becomes of it.

Pretense

This small painting will be shown at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (at the University of Utah) this weekend for the opening of their exhibition Art in Bloom.

Ezra loves nice monsters.  She's three, this is her birthday crown.  

I dedicate these flowers to my aunt lorelie, the craftiest.  

Prints

Women's Conference was a really great experience.  It was fun to be with my sister and I loved connecting with so many wonderful women.  I managed to come home with a few prints leftover from the event.  So, for all those who have been asking and any who would like one, write to me at ecmcphie@gmail.com and I'll give you the info.  I have 10"x8"s of "In the Strength of the Lord [all Things are Possible]" (below) for $50 and 8"x4"s of "Big Apron, Little Girl" (above) for $25. I pushed for an 8x10 so it would fit in a standard frame, and the other print was a cute little surprise. I only have a few, so write right away.

Women's Conference

I'm in Utah,  jazzed and ready to be womanly and do lots of conferring.  Cass and I will be on the third floor of the BYU Bookstore from 10 to 6, Thursday and Friday. We'll be signing prints and doing a little painting if we chance upon a dull moment.  I'll have this painting, "In the Strength of the Lord [all things are Possible]" as an 10"x8" print for $50.  And, a smaller print of "Big Apron, Little Girl" for $25.  Stop by and say hey if you are around!

More Plates

A couple more plates for the Art Access 300 Plates show.  These are really fun to paint.  I will deliver them the day after tomorrow when I go to Utah for Women's Conference at BYU.  Come see me there if you are around.  Third floor of the Bookstore, all day Thursday and Friday!!

Adornment

I'm still on this idea of the fabric of our clothing expressing the fabric of our being.  We are continually weaving a tapestry and telling a story by living our lives.  The vignette on her skirt tells of what occupies her mind the most.  This is one of a series of five, painted on recycled litho plates for Art Access gallery in Salt Lake City.

I Want

I’ve used the image of a snail shell with a baby head and baby feet sticking out while thinking about my kids growing too fast, and wanting them to slow down so I can appreciate them before they change, yet again. In this piece, I have applied the same concept to my time. I mean my time, the snatched minutes without kids wanting to eat… again, without chores and all the things on my mile long to-do list. The red ribbon represents passions, the burning desire in my gut to create. I wish I could push pause, have everyone freeze for bit, while I disappear into my studio to paint. Sigh. There are so many things I want to do, and so little time to pack it all in.

This piece is for a miniature show in Canada.  It cost me one hundred thirty-four dollars and forty cents to ship it to Alberta.

Chemicals

There has been a lot of talk about toxic chemicals used in painting, how they effect our health, and how we can do without them.  I use walnut oil in the studio, but I still break out the toxics to seal off a painting and for some glazing in the final stages.  When I use liquin, I go outside and wear a mask from opening the bottle to washing the brushes.  This way it doesn't get me too bad.  I would love to find a glaze that works well and is not hazardous.  

In the Strength of the Lord

... all things are possible.  I will be at BYU Women's Conference Aril 30 and May 1 on the third floor of the bookstore, with prints of this painting for sale.  (Small and paper, so very affordable.)  Come visit!  I will be hanging out with 5 other women artists (including my sister) and various authors.  I'm excited, I hope to see some of you there. 

Full Skirt

"In the Strength of the Lord" all things are possible.

Nurture and Endure

 This is my final installation as the painting has been finished for a week and I'm antsy to show you and get on with all the other stuff I've been doing. A garden was mentioned in the comments on what would you put on your skirt. I used it to express nurturing, which I feel like I am constantly needing tap into kindness and selflessness to do. The tree is symbolizing family history.  And, the bees/wasp nest, of course, are about hard work.  One last thing, the landscape has an uphill climb which could represent endurance as we work hard to become better at all we do.  

Butterflies at Dawn

A lot of your comments had to do with needing strength from the Lord when it comes to being parents.  I used butterflies to represent children.  My sister uses this symbol a lot for her kids.  I think it has to do with their ever-changing and metamorphosing.  They are hard to capture and hold on to, every time you turn around they have grown and have new ideas.

I have also painted in the sky which is a bright, clear dawn.  I am often outside while the sun rises and relish the serene, clean feeling a new day comes with.  Not to mention its peace and beauty.  Every day is new and ready for you to make the best of it.

Work

Man, I have a lot of work to do.  I can't seem to get caught up with cleaning, organizing, emails, phone calls, the list goes on and on and on... and on.  The clothesline represents chores.  If you make a list of all the things you are "supposed" to do every day, there are simply not enough hours available.  Not to mention all the "other" things that are what I actually want to be doing.  There are too many things I want to do and too many things I know I need to do not to keep trying, be organized, and put all my energy into getting it all done.
"Lovest thou me?... Feed my sheep."  I was asked to bear my testimony on missionary work in church a couple weeks ago.  I was a total blank.  I had to think really hard to come up with two to three minutes worth. I went with going back in time to review all the missionaries, of all kinds and callings, who brought the gospel to my ancestors.  Not only did it give me warm, fuzzy appreciation for these people, it was also a good awakening to define what, when, and where missionary work takes place.  I am better than I thought, and totally capable of doing more.  "Arise and gird up your loins, take up your cross, follow me, and feed my sheep" D&C 112:14.

Home

My existence revolves around house and home.  This is where I started with the diorama on her skirt.  I try to make my home peaceful and beautiful.  I want it to be a place where my family wants to be and where people always feel comfortable.  The door is inviting, the smoke from the chimney makes it feel warm and cozy, the dove represents the spirit and it is surrounded by lilies representing Christ.  Home is where I need continual and constant strength, and I know I cannot do it alone.  You can keep making comments on the last post about what you would put on your skirt.