This old teapot

I was at my sister's house, and in her basement with my son when I spotted this old teapot I painted many years ago. It was dusty and sitting among a few other things. I'd forgotten how many teapots I have painted over the years. Fun!

Georgia Art I

Family reconnections

Since arriving in my home town about 3:45am on December 23, I have seen about 50 people. Literally. Groups of family, some of whom I haven't seen in many years, and a few friends. And there is more to come. It's been a great trip so far. Really glad I came. Doing a little drawing too - not great pics, but at least you can see.

I am sitting with my 22 year old niece, who is moving to Washington, DC Monday, to get her master's, and her grandmother, who is kind enough to let us stay with her while we're here. It's weird and wonderful to be home. Hard to describe. Griffen sleeps upstairs, as well as my husband. Not sure when I'll go to bed. I seem to be wide awake, reminiscing about the day. I go to visit my soon-to-be 86 year old grandmother tomorrow - the primary reason for our visit. She's beautiful and not sure who I am anymore, and that is sad. She's the closest thing I have to a mother and it's hard to see her slip away.
I am eternally grateful for all the years I had her in my life. She's an angel on earth.

True, true

Happy Holidays!

I want it to feel like Christmas, but what with all the hurrying up and getting ready to travel tomorrow, I just feel... well, weird. It's been an odd year, and odd season and pretty much nothing is what I thought it would be this time last year. Not that I made any huge plans and laid out how my life would be, but I did have hopes and a few expectations. At the very least, I have learned that I am not in control of most things. And even a few I thought I had my hand on have slipped through my fingers and all I can do now is tread water and wait for the next wave. I have certainly been forced to take a good long look at what I want NOW, not 5 years from now. I know that I have to make choices, commitments that may be painful but are necessary for me to live true to my spirit. I have been hit with an intense awareness of just how fragile life is. I have lost many people in my life, but for whatever reason, the two friends that passed this year had a greater, more profound effect on me. I now, in the most literal way, "get" that I could easily not be here tomorrow. I am working toward letting go of things like worrying about the future, because the present is all I need concern myself with. Just being in the now, and not losing sleep over what might be down the road. That is a huge task for someone who inherited a wonderful talent for obsessively worrying - about myself, my kid, my family, friends, work, the dog, the planet, whatever. My prayer for Christmas is, that I can face 2010 with a lighter load, with patience, with a clearer mind and with optimism and joy.

Okay, this is weird/cool

I was talking to my partner at the shop and said "I am not doing any more boots this year, they just aren't selling right now in the shop." I had, mind you, sold a few pair online, but the ones in the store just sat there and sat there. Then, that same day, a gal came in and bought a pair, and today, a woman bought the other two. Now I am thinking I should kick butt and paint some more tonight. That just plain rocks.

Happy Holidays

Christmas is... WHEN?

I hate to sound like a cliché, but how on Earth did Christmas arrive already? I am NOT READY! :) Years ago, I would bake cookies, decorate them, box them up, hand-make my cards from carved lino blocks, decorate every inch of my house in lovely holiday colors...and now? I am lucky if I even have time to wrap my son's Santa gifts. I am leaving with my son and husband for GA in 8 days, we still have not found a dog sitter, I have no gifts, not a single one for any of my family or friends and I rarely even remember to turn the christmas tree lights on. I am busy. Busy is good, actually. I want to be busy. I just miss the feeling of really sinking into the spirit of Christmas. It feels like a freight train coming and I have to hop on board but still haven't packed a single bag, ya know?

I am going to try to make a few gifts, get a few things done and ready and I hope that once we arrive at my family's house, that I can exhale and it will FEEL like a holiday. :) I hope anyway.

I won! :)

I won the Elves challenge at Monday Artday! Thanks to my sister for inspiring me to join :)

http://www.mondayartday.blogspot.com/

http://www.mondayartday.blogspot.com/

It's finished!

A Sketch I am coloring

This is a boy named Jared. He has the most marvelous dreams. Some are terrifying, some are funny and exciting. And when he awakes, he isn't sure what is real and what is still part of his dream... more to come!

The importance of hard work

I spent the day - and I do mean literally, all day - cleaning my house. I scrubbed and mopped, and organized and dusted and vacuumed and literally cleaned for 7 hours straight, including doing about 8 loads of laundry. My son and husband worked as long outside, in our back yard, pulling weeds, raking leaves and sweeping. It was wonderful. We broke only to have a quick lunch and then wrapped by 5pm, when we all flopped into chairs, had dinner then set up and decorated our christmas tree and hung lights. It was (aside from a few minor meltdowns from our kiddo) one of the best days we've had in ages. Lots and lots of hard work and the reward? Tired, well-used bodies and a clean, warm and wonderful house, ready to face the week ahead. Nice!

I learned to KNIT!

I actually can't believe it, never thought I would. But after a 10 or 15 minute lesson with Hands-on 3rd's Sasha, I am on my way! It's pretty fun, too. Psst! Come take a lesson and learn, too!

Holiday Sale at Hands-on 3rd

An overhead view of a few things I made to sell for the holidays

Doodle Bags

A close-up of the doodle bags I make

Paint Swatch Paintings

My husband and I were in Home Depot looking for paint colors and I decided to grab a few of these big new swatches to draw and paint on.

Groovy Baby Mobile

I made this years ago, only just now recovered the photo. It was a gift for my friend (and Hands-on 3rd partner) Renee, for the birth of her daughter, Willa.

Appliqué fun

This is a skirt and bag I made - my first attempt at appliqué work, and sewing on a machine. I wear the skirt a lot, love it!

The list

It's Sunday morning and I couldn't sleep in. I woke up with old memories pounding on my brain, and once I had all but hushed those away, saying to myself "don't look back today, charge ahead", what quickly followed was... worry. About the list. The list of things I "need" to do, want to do, must do. The list that will never end, and that most days, I get only a fraction of done. I could and sometimes do feel a lot of guilt over whether I am creating enough art, doing enough around the house, keeping in touch with friends and family enough, making enough money, all of that. My challenge today is to not only strike a few things OFF the list, but to relax into the fact that it's okay if I don't get it all done. It will still be here tomorrow! :)

Illustration Friday - MUSIC

Pivotal

How many moments in life leave you thinking, "This is big, everything will be different after this"? I have been fortunate enough to have many of those experiences, whether they be the death of my mother when I was eight, or tragic events during my childhood and adult life, meeting incredible people, or having profound spiritual experiences. In particular, I can say that the past year has been huge for me. Whether it's just that I am ready for more now, being older now, and more mature, or whether things have simply reached a critical mass, I have had a sequence of moments and events that have completely changed my view of LIFE, what it is, what my purpose is, what GOD is, and how I feel about living and about dying. I am now, in the wake of the past year and all it's financial impact, my dear friends dying and getting sick before my eyes, my own self-discovery, seeing my life as new and realizing that now is the moment to really take stock and seize every precious drop of joy and experience that I can while I am here. I am somehow, after a life of insecurity, of self-doubt and confusion, realizing that I am in fact, blessed with huge talents, with an open and loving heart and with health, and I have got to use it all now, while I can. I am making a promise, a vow to myself to LOVE me, to celebrate me, and to embrace all that I am. A mother, a friend, a wife, an artist, a singer, a writer, a designer, a creative, vibrant force. A quirky, complicated, sometimes sad, sometimes giddy, fault-laden, really very kind, but sometimes awkward and lonely, incredibly creative spirit having a human experience.

Monday morning and new ideas

A crazy busy weekend at Hands-on 3rd, with two birthday parties and a gallery event. Pooped, but it went really well. Today I am playing serious catch up and wondering how 1pm got here so fast. I have a movie poster, a baking company logo, about 100 photos to edit, a mural and some follow up emails and a conference call at 3pm! And I am not really working much - this isn't actually "really busy" LOL...

3:25 pm and quiet

Sitting in the house alone, loving this quiet time before picking up my son, and before my husband gets home. I am tossing around ideas in my head for some boots I am painting tonight. Made some good decisions today. Feeling happy and content. My son will come home and want to play Connect Four - a game we both love and we will. Then we'll have some dinner, play another game, read a book, he's off to bed, I get some time with my husband, some Hands-on 3rd stuff done and then I paint. YUM!

a fascinator I made at HANDS-ON 3RD

Renee Ridgeley and I (owners) at Hands-on 3rd with Gorgeously Green's Sophie Uliano!

Creative Kick Start

Starting today - new space for me and my thoughts, art and babble. :) stay tuned!