Pink Coyote

Selkie

The funniest story has been unfolding in my world today about the story of the selkie in "Sealskin, Soulskin" from WWRWtW.

It is likely my fave story in the book, so I return to it like a buttery blankie when I'm feeling like I need a little fix, but don't have time for all new concepts at the moment. I'd just read it in bed last night.

It began when this LOVE mentioned *selkie* in a note to me and I was like, "What is Selkie? is that like a swamp creature that eats little children?" (No, that would be a Kelpie, silly). Both are mystical and charming, hear this. But one of them lures children and one of them is far more benevolent.

Please just go and read this. It will do your soul some good. Especially if you've happened to have misplaced your skin...

**And please enjoy these pics of Ivy as she sings, yes SINGS her little heart out on a wagon ride earlier today (while I was searching high and low for my growing short-term memory).**

 

"When we are in our rightful wildish nature, we all feel this bright life. It is one of the signs that we are close to Wild Woman. We all enter the world in a dancing condition. We always begin with our own pelts intact."

-Women Who Run With the Wolves, p.289

Goodies

Umm..What is this??? I'm going to torture myself like she does and she did and make myself wait until tomorrow. Or at least until the perfect moment. It will be part of my celebration once the box is shipped. Thank you, Heather! I don't know what I did to deserve your sweeties, but I am so looking forward to tearing into it!

I did not, however, torture myself over this, brought back from the creamery by my husband (kind enough to remove the children from the home while I toiled out loud) tonite:

I sort of wish I'd had because it ended up tasting like a forgotten, murky, coconut-flavored sponge, though I can vouch for the waxy chocolate coating. I'm saving the second half for Miles, who will devour it and declare it the best candy "on this entire planet".

It's late, I can't breathe and I've got a wicked case of the sillies.

Have a good weekend peeps.

Word Medicine

We are sick again. SICK AGAIN! It's not as bad as it's been, but I'm feeling very cranky and frustrated that since Miles started preschool in September, we have all been out of action with colds four times. The last three times have all been one month apart. Sore throats, sinusy noses, babies who won't sleep. I feel like a perfect grouch.

Dammit!

Being the natural remedy queen that I consider myself to be, I feel like giving up. I begin to administer the homeopathics, get started on honeyed tea, and still it takes me down. I have yet to create room for the preschool sickies to move in as a regular occurrence and it's driving me crazy to have no energy during such a demanding month. Still so much calling from the work table.

Totally random uncreditable photo purloined from folkandfable (blame her for the lack of photographer!) which makes me feel extremely happy and nappish.

I'm switching gears here to share this beautiful poem that found it's way into my inbox today, which I am so grateful for. Some words can stop me in my tracks and heal my heart right where it sits from any ailment of the day. Powerful little letters all stacked together, aren't they? From here I shall quiet my great flapping against the current.

still life with flying bird

From where we stood, it looked effortless. A hawk hovering
inside the bay wind as if posing for a photograph. An hour earlier,
we’d nearly been knocked over by that same current, shivering
roadside to fix a flat tire. It was hard to believe this air
could have held that bird so gently. And yet, her body lay still
as sleep, and the hawk simply floated as if she had forgotten
the haste of hunger, as if home could wait. I wondered how it would feel
to fly into such weather and then let go, to quiet that great flapping
of wings and lean into the stream’s muscle, have it carry us as far
as it wanted while we rested inside it, patient and trusting as ever.

-maya stein

Hawk

I'm so glad you like the Hawk, here are prints for those who were usurped by the early bird who snagged this painting. Seems the Messenger has been paying her quite the personal visits...love on Monday to you all.

Armful

Sweets. Now more than ever.

Why am I blogging?! I'm supposed to be drawing and painting. Good grief, how did I not know this was coming? To be fair, I am not freaking out. Just working and also working when I might like to be...bathing, reading. I'm so not going to complain about having to paint. I love every minute of it.

Check this out while I'm finishing up:

Three Angels

Leonie's Goddess School

Stephanie's Triple Goddess Workshop

Susannah's Spring Unravelling

The Hodgepodge House

See you soon!

And More Goodness

Card Giveaway

On the other side of deadline, I have cards to give away! The winner will receive four animama notecards with envelopes. I currently have these cards to choose from:

Buffalo-Abundance

Crow-Alchemy

Rhinoceros-Sanctuary

Fox-Change

Owl-Magic

Deer-Harmony

In your comment, I'd love to know why you retreat, what you go on retreat seeking and/or where your favorite retreat places are! I'll post a winner up on Sunday night...good luck!

 

If you love to share stories of your retreats, queen of self-care Jennifer Louden has a call out for your words of inspiration! Just send her an email before December 7th and she may use your short story(with a link back to your blog or site, of course) in her retreat books, posts, podcasts, an PR for her upcoming Virtual Giveaway.

Cover Me...

I'm going in!

In approximately two hours from now I'll be returning home with an eleven by fourteen piece of plywood and a stack of copies of the boards leading up to my piece, for a local project in which twenty-seven artists are creating a visual narrative collaboration. If that sounds like a lot of numbers, it is! I have no idea what themes will emerge for me when I see the other works, and I'll have all of forty-eight hours ONLY to complete this piece! Hence, the name: The 48 Hour Project, which opens at Surface Gallery on January 8th. I'll share more about the lovely woman who created this project as I find out more about her!

This is a perfect example of the hayride to hell artistic nirvana I eagerly pilot, because the projects always sound like so much fun. I can't bear to say no to things like this! If you have a craaaazy idea for a group art project, you know who to call...the lunatic with a paintbrush in one hand and a baby on her hip. Though I don't often work with the kids on me, I have to confess at picking white paint shpreckles out of Ivy's hair this morning.

What does she appear to be thinking here? (I'm afraid to ask). The lights look like thought bubble dots! Imp!

 

I'll see you asap with pics of progress...xo

Winners + New Work

While I was pilfering purloining* old candy from the Halloween bag, ("I think it's time to throw this thing out while everyone is at the park...oooooh-Crunch bar!"), I used random.org to pick two winners for the prints!

CROW goes to Heather of Bumblebird

OWL is for Gem of Droplets of Devotion

Send me an email with your shipping address so I can send you your goods, m'dames!

Thank you all for playing! I will be doing a card giveaway this week, so come back and play again and try your luck at the wheel of fortune.

It's been a long weekend of parenting and cleaning up around here, leaving me low on resources. The too much information version includes me drinking a bit of Guinness to replenish my milk supply, after using a homeopathic remedy for a sore throat that left me all dried up! I have had to resurrect this milk from the dead twice now! The good news is that no caffeine + fenugreek + plenty of B vitamins + beer = abundant milk for the baby goddess. At eight months, she still won't take a bottle, so I do the straw trick or give her fluids with a dropper, slip raw milk into her porridge...shenanigans, basically. She did show some promise on the Nuby sippy cup today (Thank you Julia). I'm taking a workshop here on Friday to learn more about healthy prep of food beyond pureed mush. Three years of solids for Miles, and one memory gone missing means I'm reinventing the food wheel here!

It's all good. Deep breath.

I'm elated to have had a clock rotation or two to work in the studio and begin a new series I've been anxious to get started on.  This piece is the first to be finished. 

 

Pink Fox, 6x6 on cradled birch board, 2009.

I tried to talk (and paint) her into any color but pink and she wouldn't hear it. Something she said about the heart...

Fox is so prominent for me right now. I feel she represents what is growing in my world, in our world. She brings enchanting stories of possibility with her, of the healing energy that makes giant creative leaps possible. In our tribe, Fox is a symbol of family, and the unity and commitment we share as a group. This little one carries a message of what we can experience when we gather together in sacred trust and kinship. I sense that she is off into the woods to have a secret tryst with her comrades, to share stories and learn about herself and the world by communing with her friends.

Prints are in the shop and the original is going to hang around a bit until I feel I've heard all she has to say. I feel a postcard in the making, too.

Aho! This is my offering to you! Be well this chilly week...

*p.s. I want to thank Amy Dolich for expanding my vocabulary.

This Beautiful Week

My piece for CORE which is seen here missing a couple of elements, such as it's deer antler button closure and wooden cap. Her capelet is also unpressed. She was prettied up for her debut, I assure you.

This piece evolved from a very different idea into one which symbolizes so much to me. She speaks about integrating all of the parts: Innocent, wise, vulnerable, fragile, ill, reborn, enchanted, rescuer, shadow, wild; parts that we split off of and yearn for until we can piece ourselves back together. I'm sure you can guess which fairy tale I borrowed from to make my point.

Here she is in her glory. The Goddess McCabe Russell took this photo and I'm so grateful because I took only two pictures of the piece and they're both super dark. What you can't see in either of these photos is the fox tail that adorns her back bottom side. Perhaps someone got a good pic of her showing it.

CORE was an unbelievably fun night, filled with amazing music, familiar faces and art. I'm so proud to have been a part of it. The women who came to this venue were divine on so many levels and I've learned so much from them.

These are snaps from the show. I can't recall the titles of each one, so I'll just have to list the artists only! I wish I'd gotten more photos. Shame my hands were full of people and wine all night!

 

Christine Mason Miller.

Outi Harma.

Marisa Haedike.

Liz Kalloch.

Photo of Miles and Erin by the illuminating Stacy de la Rosa. Brandon braved the traffic with both little ones and came all the way to Los Angeles so Miles could see the display and meet some of the artists. I love my husband. He is so courageous and willing.

Sarah Ahearn.

Kelly Barton.

I have to thank Anne Carmack ONE MORE TIME for her vision, her energy, her grace and her unfaltering sense of glee at organizing this show. If you were able to come, thank you for your support! It was a lovefest, man.

And I can't mention the week without raising my tea mug to the finest Alpha Goddess to walk the earth, my Girly Blue. You my love, are what dog history is made of. How I miss you and yearn to kiss you and sniff you nose to nose. I'm remembering all you've taught me, recalling your beautiful, gentle strength. We love seeing you in our dreams, so please visit often. Peace to your ever joyful heart, sweet hound.

At Our CORE

You are invited to come have your socks knocked off by the work of fifteen artists who pushed beyond their safe, creative perimeters to bring you this show.

Thank you, again, Anne Carmack, for creating this divine experience for all of us.

Christine Mason Miller

Marisa Haedike

Jessica Seaton

Cathy Nicols

Michelle Caplan

Liz Kalloch

Mati Rose McDonough

Sarah Ahearn

Carla Terwilliger

Nicol Ragland

Outi Harma

Linda Esterly

Karin Collins

Anne Carmack

+ Me. :)

Offerings

I am learning as I go about the process of working in group shows and on deadlines as an artist, and CORE is my first go with this sort of thing. Working with Anne Carmack has been a wonderful experience on my end, and I think she should create a tutorial on how to organize a group show! Gathering artists and their creations together under one roof is just too much fun. I thrive on the bonds made in artistic communion, it's just heavenly! It helps to remedy the isolation that occurs when I hole up in my studio and just push myself to go through everything alone.

Creating work on a deadline meant that there were moments that I had to disappear (sometimes a bit guiltily) when my kids, husband, dogs, the preschool, friends, needed me. When I'm not minding a clock, I still have to carve out time, but I typically squeeze it in during everyone's off hours. Having a "due date" definitely turned the fire up under the family skillet. It very much spotlighted how in demand I am as a mom- how I imagine most moms must be, whether we feel it or not. 

I have another project coming up in two weeks and the medium is closer to what I normally use, but get this...I only have 48 hours to create it from start to finish! I can't wait to tell you about it, it's a really neat concept.

I know that I am energized by the feeling of gestation and giving birth, but what I didn't realize until now is that I've created a profession in which I am giving birth left and right. This is what it feels like to be an artist: fresh sweat on my brow, exhilarating, anticipation, trust, and wonder. Not unlike the birthdays of my sweet babes, which felt like I was being given amazing treasures, but who are also my offerings to the world.

The Buzz

I'm a busy little worker bee, worker bee, worker bee. This week every thought turns into a gay, little song when I'm buzzing along at a mighty pace. And buzzing along I am. I always get through, though, and this time will be no exception. Here are a few little random yummies to chew on while I'm foxtrotting away, getting finished up for CORE and doing the Animamarama.

Loving this piece on balance by Christina of My Topography. 

This pumpkin necklace by Lara Lewis has stolen my heart, as well as these animal paper dolls by Julianna, the genius behind Oh My Cavalier! I've been following Julianna for some time and her work is only getting wickedly better and better.

And here is an interview I recently did about courageous travel at sweet Kate's site. Whether I'm courageous or just plain crazy, I don't know.

Dog coverlet at Custom Hotel, September 2009.

Into the Core

This is the event I was telling you about! If you'll be in Los Angeles, please stop in and say hello! The ever-swirling Christine inspired this project and has all the deets! I want to thank the passionate Anne Carmack, of folkandfable, for pulling it together and making it really fun for everyone.  

Working with this medium has taken me on quite a ride. I am sitting here wanting to talk the backstory of it all, but since the piece isn't finished, I'm going to postpone until a bit later. I'm intrigued by the idea of many artists interpreting on another artist's *canvas*. It's going to be one lovely partay.

Rare

Photo courtesy of Bill Roth.

Some believe that when white animals, like the moose pictured above, are born, they signify the coming of a time of unity.  What exactly is expected for the future cannot be known, but doesn't it seem as if new, meaningful communities are being born with more frequency?

I feel a great pull to gather in groups of safe people to share ideas, art and stories, to learn, and to teach. It feels like an intuitive decision, one which requires little logical thought. This explains why I jump at every chance I get to circle with those I adore: believing that we are all gifted is much more important than believing that only a few are gifted. Gathering is a reminder that we are not alone as we find our way through the thickets.

I am fortunate to know a woman who is bringing artists closer together because she feels a strong calling to do so. She does it with such grace and humor and she's loved by everyone who comes to her *camp*.

I've spent a couple of weeks trying to find words to say thank you to her. And I can feel tears fogging over my eyes and lumps forming in my chest when I think about how grateful I am to have met her. Maybe it's because she gives from such an authentic place within her, or because she understands deeply, even though she makes no claims to have walked the exact path. Or perhaps it's her ability to gently hold the dreams of so many in her vision.

Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that she helped me achieve what seemed like an impossible feat at first, without one single word of caution or projected worry about bringing my family to SAW. She believed in me one hundred percent and cheered my family on wholeheartedly as we journeyed east to join in on the fun. The woman is fearless. Brazen, bold, and fearless.

Such an individual is simply....rare.

My heart is full of gratitude for YOU, dear Elizabeth. Thank you for answering the call so that we, as individuals and as a collective, might be able to hear the whisperings of our own hearts, as well...

THANK YOU.

Off the Hook

MA BELL. "Got the ill communication. Ma Bell, I got the ill communication". I can't look at the signs on these little dwellings without going there.

Not much to say today, bit of brain boggle mixed with adult-onset ADD. Fortunately, I'm off the hook because you can hear me prattling on about being an artist here. Thank you, Susan! Susan is the girlpower behind Artstream Gallery which is currently hosting A Vision of Squam.

Be well, faithful readers. xo

I Wish I'd Just Gone Fishing

But instead, I got the flu, which explains why I haven't been around lately. We had a yard sale on Saturday and I might have picked up cooties from someone- because by nightfall, I was sacked. Sunday night proved even more dramatic. I suppose I've been wide open for this to happen. I am glad it's occuring now and not next week.

Here is my lesson of taking care of myself coming up again, loud and clear. I have no choice but to sleep as much as possible, and drink nauseating quantities of tea, water and vitamin water.

Poor Ivy and Miles have the sniffles and sneezes, and I'm not producing much milk for Ivy at all. Besides Milk Thistle tea, I haven't tried anything else. I welcome any suggestions you have to remedy that. I have a terrible fear that my milk supply will dry up completely!

More letting go: letting go of the things that didn't make it in into the Squam box, letting go of laundry, letting go of my hope to record a few videos this week, letting go that there is no picture accompanying this entry.

Jen Louden announced National Freedom from Self Improvement Day at her blog and it couldn't have been more timely. Nothing is improving here but my chances of caring less about what isn't getting done!

*teacup clink*

Video Four

Doing better. Thank you so much for your feedback and positive thoughts for Blue. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, so I do appreciate any of you who can hold a bit of space for her recovery. Bless you!

Spider has been linked to the Wheel of Fortune card in the tarot deck. I like Spiritual Tarot for a depth-psychology approach to what's coming up for me in the cards or just life in general. Here is a small bit of what it says:

"[The Wheel of Fortune] is a symbol of advancement, of cycles of manifestation, of energy that can be harnessed without stopping the rhythm of natural unfolding and periodic repetition. It is the archetype of our quest for the Holy Grail, for self-enlightenment. The Wheel of Fortune can teach us endurance and fortitude, how to analyze situations and make decisions accordingly, and how to keep our psychic balance in the midst of fluctuation."

I fluctuate, therefore, I am!

Happy. Joy.

 

Someone was very happy to attend two birthday parties this weekend: Baby Gavin turned one on Saturday, and Justin (my husband's friend from high school) turned forty. Justin's mama makes the best a mean gourmet potato salad (ok, not better than my mom's, but very good, indeed) and she also made her own rosemary bread which I would have maimed someone for more, had there not been strawberry cake coming my way across the table.

The weekends have a way of turning into a mad rush to get "things" done while there are four adult hands on deck, so it was very good to celebrate and be festive instead of being workaholics. Miles ran around shooting squirt guns on the grass with a couple of other kids and continuing to hatch out of his reserved little shell. I love being out in the world with these children.

In other news, I own far too many pillows. But that hasn't stopped me from coveting OIive. I must've clicked through a front page listing of hers and proceeded to lollygag around dreamily for an hour clicking back and forth, unwilling to close the window. I'm obsessed with cottages and buildings of all kinds and her little house pillows are so charming. I hearted her. Then she tracked me down and fell in love with one of my paintings and put it on her blog (check out her beautiful home pics, too). I love it when mutual hearting happens. It just feels good. Is it possible for virtual stores to exude good energy? If so, then hers does.

Happy, happy. Joy. Joy.

Off and Away

 

These are some little bits of watercolored board that I created so that when Miles and I are seeking some direction for our day, we can either draw some out and be spontaneous or we can shuffle them around and decide which ones we'd like to try. His favorite thing to do at the moment is do papercrafts on the floor or sculpt with clay. Perfect for the hottest days of the year.

Ivy and I are off to Connecticut tonite to go to a wedding. There are plenty of things I meant to do this week, like upload new work, update my store, etc. And I just didn't get to them all. Travelling for the first time with this babe has had me all wrapped up in listmaking and crossing things off of lists and then making new lists.

I may try to keep up here...or perhaps I'll just have a drink in the middle of a northeast thunderstorm! Who knows? I'm open to just relaxing and enjoying our time there, but you know me...I'll be checking in from time to time.

I've been enjoying Susannah Conway's blog, Ink on My Fingers. Her videos are inspiring for me as I gear up to shoot my first 30 second video as part of overcoming my fear of speaking to an audience directly. I don't know if I'll be able to do 30 of them, but I'm going to try. Check out her kewl camera!

 

videos, scary butterflies and mondo cajones

i'm writing all small tonite. i feel a bit nervous.

i've been watching marisa at creative thursday with awe this week, sharing videos of herself that have a very vulnerable quality to them. i get butterflies when i watch them and i get them now just thinking about sharing my voice, not just in a tiny little embedded media player, but on a moving screen. along with my face. i've been RIVETED by marisa's  e-course i've been taking this month, concerning the artist's online presence. The course has been delivered weekly via podcast, followed up with a video between classes. i've really enjoyed the flexibility of the media as well as having a new way to interact virtually that seems....virtually intimate.

i tend to avoid these types of things. since i was very small and got my first tape recorder [those hulky, black, boxes with the giant keys you had to depress two of at the same time to begin recording], i have cringed at the sound of my own voice. i can hardly watch my own wedding video. after eleven anniversaries, i think i've watched it three or four times because of how self-conscious i am about hearing my own voice.

this does not stop me from talking-i loooove to talk. its just that i hear myself differently on a recorded device and i don't like the way it sounds. i have a friend who is a broadcaster in radio and before clearchannel took a dump this year, she used to phone me frantically- "My five-at-nine cancelled last second and I need you to make 5 requests on air...right NOW!"

on the spot recording makes me just about want to toss my cookies bigtime. so i'm trying to decide if the butterflies are indicating that this is something i need to explore or if my gut is telling me to run. away. fast.

funny, the things that challenge us. i can birth baby one and baby two, barely assisted in our home and be fearless. a little v-blog? shiver me timbers.

marisa sometimes says that she has had to do take after take. i fear it would take me all night and i am certain i would never be happy with it(the butterflies just took flight again).

what would i say? why would it matter?

hmmm. in the spirit of improving myself (facing fear=confidence) i want to try it, but in the spirit of cowardice, i want to dismiss it. i'm going to think on it.

i have to summon mondo cajones.

in only slightly related news, i did bother to finally figure out how to embed videos here and i can't stop listening to *and watching* nataly dawn.

     sometimes, "there is only make".

SALE One More Day + Home Sweet Home

*I'm too knee-deep in other affairs to go to animama and change all of the print prices back to 24 so please enjoy one more day of the 19 dollar print sale * Yay!

Being on a getaway to our friends' home was bliss. Their house is a haven by all accounts, not unlike Narnia, where there is fun lurking around every corner as well as yummy British foods such as Jam & Cream biscuits (it's a cookie, already). I'm *so grateful* to have friends who let us come and stay for a week. (Especially after I fell skirt over teats into a hedge at their wedding outside London in '93-thanks guys.)

There is so much to do back at home-fun stuff, mostly. I'm actually going to share some pics of my studio this week, something I've never really done at my blog  Since I'm celebrating four years of blogging this month, I thought it would be nice to give you a peek into my little creative space. Of course I started frantically cleaning at the thought of it, so it's turned into a beautifying week of chaotic sorts. I'm taking the week off from painting and instead putting things in order, etc. Allowing myself to take time off while I'm at home is practically unheard of, so I'm trying to take advantage of my generous gift (from me to me) and work my can off. I have to make it worth my while, right? I'm making hay while the sun shines, I suppose. Speaking of that damned sun....

It was a hundred and ten degrees today which means there will be no going out of the house this week with the littles, and Brandon will not be riding his bike to work, leaving me carless. Can you believe it? 110? Unspeakably brutal. I'm watching our peaches ripen and the rest of the plants melt.

 

Clearly taken in a climate other than the one I live in.

I'm also overhauling my banner and making some changes to the look of this blog which has been a long time comin'.

I received Momma Zen's post today, which reads: Attention is the most concrete expression of love. "What you pay attention to thrives. What you do not pay attention to withers and dies."

There shall be no withering here!

Little House

The lovely explorer, Keri Smith and I share a love of tiny houses. I excitedly read her blog last week and began another tear through tiny home blogs, Jay Shafer's awesome site of Tumbleweed houses, gypsy vardos, and hobbity little earth dwellings.

 

The XS

What is it about the wee house that we love so much? From a simple little living room fort to a backyard yurt or tipi, a private treehouse or beautiful boat, I can't get enough of small spaces.

My godfather in another life, Carl Jung, said, "Everything in the unconscious seeks outward manifestation". One could run in any bloody direction with that, Carl. But as it applies to "stuff", I think it's worthwhile to investigate how we collect, what earthly items we cherish and what houses we dream of.

I'm dreaming of a tiny house in a wooded glen at the moment, as I'm deeply missing the trees once again...

And as for earthly items I cherish, here are a few:

1.Hairpins from the vintagebelljar

2.Jeans

3.My favorite mug and this tea

4.Perfect lip balm

5.Sewing machine

6.Yarn/needles

7.My collection of big feathers

8.My grandmother's cast iron skillet

9.Blockprinted dishtowels (sneaking in functional art wherever I can)

10.My worn-out copies of (surprise) Women Who Run With the Wolves, Gift from the Sea and Walden.

I'll keep this list going and encourage you to create your own- bearing in mind that if you only had 200 sq ft to live in, what would you bring with you? What are you afraid of not having?

Incredible

 

This cute crocheted hat was sent to us as a gift from the lovely and thoughtful mama, Penelope, when Ivylu was a few weeks old. Doesn't she look like a little granny on her way to church?

Penny is an incredible artist and illustrator, whom I've loved spending stolen moments with as we've crossed paths over the past four years. Now that she's a mama, we have even more to gab about. We will each be working on rather unique pieces for a one-night L.A. show in November, along with a bevy of some really amazing artists. I'm so excited! (More details to come.) Part of the excitement of putting paint to surface is that I get to hang with some chicks I really dig.

I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by a million incredible peeps. I want to throw my arms around the world and say thank you.

Music in the Park

A couple of weeks ago I got the hook up from Mati Rose on Facebook about a little folkish duo, Renee & Jeremy, and their KEWT video. I immediately clicked over and bought tickets to see them play at a little nature & music festival in the park. The funny thing is that they played at the creepy old zoo site at Griffith Park in historical Los Feliz, literally 2 minutes from where we lived in L.A. before we headed for the hills nine years ago. An added bonus is that Tom Freund played and we loved he and his funky band. (He played a medley of You Are My Sunshine and This Land is Your Land and I got all choked up. Why do  songs like this cause such a tug? Or am I just a sentimental dweeb?) Both bands were great and it was so wonderful just to be lying on the grass outside under the sycamores!

It was a really sweet show and though the craft booths were pretty lo-fi, it was an amazingly beautiful day and Miles thought it was the "most funnest day" (to quote one of his friends).  

We did a little snugglin',

 

 

A little jammin',

 

A little snackin',

 

A little drinkin',

A little more drinkin'- my kinda drinkin'!

 And finally... a little sleepin'.

 

It was a very good day...

In other news, I do believe I've changed my mind. I would like to go to Squam Art Workshops this year. Before Ivy arrived, I didn't know what I'd be up for! But now I know. Except, I don't quite know how I'm going to pull it off. Being jobless with a noob doesn't exactly lend itself to cross country travel to connect with likes and deepen one's craft... Hmmmn. I'm determined to find a way to make it work.

Meantime, I've added one more painting to the shop (+ prints) and there will be three more added by weeks end. Pinky swear!

;)

 

Everyone Loves a Log

I pawned Ivy off on Brandon last night, quite late, because I was dying to get into my studio and doink around with an idea that I've been wanting to figure out. Well, two ideas. He's a good sport- had her down snoozing in minutes and I'd been laboring anxiously for over an hour. Sometimes I do not have the magic touch. *Sigh*

One of the idea's is at my husband's urging, well, kind of. He has long been nagging me to play with Django Reinhardt's image in some way-I think he may have been thinking a painting, but my mind meandered to...embroidery! Not just any embroidery, though-freehand machine stitched embroidery! I crack myself up trying to teach myself something new all the time. It's too maddening to work on the same things over and over again, perhaps. I need to play in addition to doing what I do routinely.  Keeps the gears freshly turning.

So he made the sketch, after I bombed at it-mine looked like Peter Lorre's and Poncho Villa's lovechild. I couldn't capture the features that make the grandfather of gypsy jazz so recognizable.  Here is what I came up with based on Brandon's sketch:

And a bit closer:

 

I kind of like the haphazard hair, and I like the way his moustache turned out. I'd love to get my stitches together and turn him into one of these! I'm now planning to stalk Sammi-I think her embroidery people are wowzer.

Then I had to (no choice here) stay up ungodly late and cover up an old onesie that Aunt Jill had given us for Miles when he was a babe.

"Metal Baby" doesn't quite capture Ivy's persona, so I created something that was intricate, yet solid:

 

 

A simple log of turquoise thread on flaxy linen. Perhaps it will actually be cool enough to wear long sleeves for a short time!

The weather is cooling down after a heatwave for the past few days that has made me very cranky! Retreating into my sewing machine has been a welcome respite-I'm not ready for hot weather yet! We often say there is no real Spring here in the desert-like valley floor, it just goes from cool to hot, immediately. Unbearable!

My soul yearns to live somewhere cool again, where going outside is a visual feast and pleasure on my skin. Here I race the kids to the car, crank up the freon and curse the searing hot buckles of their carseats.  Miles must tire of me saying, "Sweetheart, take a drink of your icewater, your cheeks are really red!" And griping the entire drive to anywhere.

I will take the 74 degree forecast and milk it for all it's worth-even if it means I won't be making anymore stitchery masterpieces for a little while!

Celebrating in Color

Fall has always been my favorite season, hands down, even though I live in a region where Fall hardly shows up for the party. This is probably why we try to make it to the northeast when that time of year rolls around.  Spring has always been a welcome friend at my door, too. However, living in California every day of my life thus far, where I take warm weather for granted, it doesn't dazzle me like it does my northern cronies.

This year it's been a little different. Because Ivy was due in Spring (and was born the first day of), I've perked up to all of the various meanings of the season and have put more effort into celebrating it.  Also, because I like to teach M about the seasons, and he's now at a ripe age to be really interested in such things.

So we did some funny fun things today. Above is a jelly bean bracelet inspired by Mrs. D Lightful, and below, M's version.

And yet another:

These were fun, fast and totally cheap-a roll of stretchy string, a needle and some jelly bellies.  I'm going to wear mine to Easter breks tomorrow, but M ate his right away...

We also made some yummy cupcakes and adorned them with picks made using a free download from My Crafty Mess.

 

We are waiting for our brew to finish coloring our eggs overnite-but here is a teaser of what's to come:

            

 

I'll post pictures of how the eggs turned out tomorrow-some are looking very promising while other ones have completely bombed-such as the slimy cinnamon...yuck! I also forgot how disgusting cabbage smells when boiling-we had to throw open all of the windows and light some candles. We're really suffering for our craft here trying to avoid Yellow #5. Martha  and Stephanie walked us through this one.

Happy Spring, everyone!

Still Waiting + Buffalo Magic

I thought it would be really cool if our babe was born on St. Paddy's Day (or Brandon's birthday last Friday, or this Friday, on the Spring Equinox), but clearly, that was not her magical day of entrance...so now I'm nailbiting a bit that she comes within the next few days or she'll be considered "late" and I just don't want to have to flag the questions and concerns of everyone who is anticipating her-including my doctor who is already throwing out terms like "non-stress test". I nearly jumped off the table today when he pushed on her head, which is definitely as far down as it can possibly go without me being able to hear her hiccups.

So we wait. And wait. We had so much going on with selling our mountain house and moving just before M was born and he was 4 days early, so I've never had this experience of restless anticipation before.  People were giving me horrified looks at the doctor's office today and one lady said to me, "You must be SO DUE right now".  Employees at the local health food store kept approaching me and saying "What?! She's not here yet?" Needless to say, we're all ready for her.

In the meantime, I'm working on some more little paintings.  I finally set up an etsy store, which is so long overdue and really, very fun to see come together.  (I'll link it here in the next couple of days when it looks prettier).

Brandon has been bitten by the creative bug of restless idleness, too, and has put together a blog to share his mad-scientist-carnival-gypsy jazz-meets-tom waits musical inventions and stylings. Always writing and creating music, he is, but a blog I thought I'd never see.  Yes, and very proud of him we are.

Here's the latest piece:

Mixed-media on 6"x6" cradled birch panel.

This buffalo is all about allowing without forcing and abundance brought about by deep gratitude, and of course, the quest into the deeper, wilder self.

Until she lands, we're enjoying the fertile, creative time we have, knowing it will all shift for a while very, very soon.

 

Miles loves sporting his Mati Rose Original tee shirt.  She has a cute entry up featuring a montage of babes wearing this shirt which we bought for M at the art sale that followed Squam Art Workshop in New Hampshire last Fall.  If you haven't heard of this magical, creative gathering, check it out!  Sessions are in June and September this year-treat yourself to some creative resources and downtime in the gorgeous NH forest on infamous Golden Pond.

My psc has been acting out lately, preventing me from making color copies and enlargements to create with-so after a bit of research, I chose a cheap HP all-in-one rather than the Canon that I think will do a better job of making prints of my work.  The HP will aid more in the process of creating, which is more of my focus at the moment.  It does use archival quality ink, so I may be surprised at the quality-I know so little about this sort of thing. If you are a printer expert, feel free to throw your $.02 my way!  Be sure to tell me if you use a model like this for printing your own artwork.

I may treat myself to the Canon later on down the line when it makes more sense-it accepts those lovely, thick, fine art papers that look so juicy when printed upon.  In the meantime, I need my copying and scanning capabilities!  I'm running out of time, here! 

I hit the jackpot at one of my favorite antique store haunts-a collection of 1950's cityscape postcards that I'm excited about collaging with under the paint.  The bright pastels are inspiring me as Spring draws near and they grey of winter is being chased away.  I am digging the way the yellow sun spills across our floor and warms the house.  Everything seems bathed in amber light.

It's been a rather lazy day-I haven't given one thought to alkalizing food (my new obsession), instead I've been eating comfort food (avocado and cheese sandwiches, bbq chips, buckwheat pancakes...)and lying around on my duff watching Sesame Street with Miles.  I did scrub the kitchen up and down this morning, which could be part of that frenzied nesting one does when babe is really wanting out.  It's a game of anybody's guess as to when this little elf is going to arrive!  Shall I start taking bets??

To Your Good Health

Good Monday morning to you!

Quick, before I recap my weekend, I want to bring your attention to the axe I've to grind with our new President Elect.  He has appointed a rogue bio-tech poster child to the position of Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.  As one who supports factory farming legislation, animal cloning and the genetic engineering of crops, he has compromised our health, our children's health and the health of the environment here on Mama Earth. Vilsack must be sacked.  Sign here if you'd like to take action and remind Barack Obama of his interest in organic food production, the preservation of the American family farm, the environment and our sustainable future. 

It has been a healthful couple of weeks 'round the den, with all of the juicing and souping (and other things that rhyme with "souping") we've been doing.  Brandon's beloved GrammaLo has been visiting us from her home in Idaho where it has already snowed over 80 inches, almost double its expected amount for the entire year.  The California sunshine did her well, and Miles loved having a willing playmate.

I'm so grateful for uber-fresh food, including soup that gets better every day, gently used baby hand-me-downs, warm belly-floatin'-baths with sea salt, seventy-nine year old grammies who think they are fifty-five and look it- too, friends calling to salespitch their new towns (you, Jill!), a tall pile of birth books on my nightstand, hot chocolatey chocolate, body pillows, snuggling with warm boys, popcorn and Babe, the Sheep Pig starring one of my heroes, James Cromwell as the compassionate Farmer Hoggett.

I love Kris Carr and her sexy tips-I really want her "make juice not war" t-shirt.  I'm really getting into this juicing thing and will have some recipes to share this week.  I already want to upgrade my juicer to a twin gear to improve my yield of juice from herbs and greens.  I've been told recently that you lose 15-30% juice in the centrifuge! plus you have to drink it right away to retain the enzymes or it will oxidize.  The mashing motion of the twin gear (the Greenstar is the one I'm in love with) results in 90% enzyme retention and you can store juice for up to three days in the fridgey in a tightly sealed pint canning jar if you fill it up to the top, leaving almost no air.  In the meantime...it's bottoms up!

And yet another photo of my perfectly disturbing brother, Doo, who sportily fell victim to my juicing of beets tonite: