Apologies!

Soooorry if this site looks a little wacky for the next 24 hrs. I'm redoing the layout, and many of the changes will take hours to finish. Tune in next week to see the finished product ;)

A little something to crow about.

I know you'll be shocked by this, but I have to admit...

some paintings never sell.

I don't mind this fact since painting is really just a beloved hobby, a wonderful way to spend the my spare time, an outlet for my apparently infinite amount of creative energy.

But I have to admit that I don't have the skills or time to find art buyer homes for every painting. Often, I plan on giving away paintings before they are finished. I haven't given my Grandma anything in a while, so I decided I'd make a painting based on things she might like. Unfortunately, that pretty much limits me to Elvis and cute livestock.

Originally I was going to paint her a little black billy goat, but then I thought it might be too sad since her last little billy goat (aka lawn mower) committed suicide by hanging itself from a tree.

I didn't even know they could do that, but apparently, they can.

and do.

(Moral of the story; don't tie your goat to a tree- it will jump over a low branch and hang itself.)

In the end I decided I'd paint her a cheerful rooster waking up the countryside.

With a blue border, because the lady loooooves blue. (re; blue sofa, blue curtains, blue flower arrangements, and so on, and so forth).

I'm putting it in the shop until I get to see her again (which will be months). If someone buys it, I'll just get her an Elvis collectible with the proceeds.

Nevermore.

From Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore; Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore. "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." (acrylic on wood, $19.99) I memorized almost the entire poem for Ms Noble's 10th grade lit class almost 10 years ago. Today I mutter it when trying to keep my mind off more troubling things... like when someone is walking too close behind me as I walk from the bus stop to my house in the dark. I guess there is something about a girl reciting dark victorian era poetry that says "back off."

Sugarbird

This is the bird from this post.

I tried to paint it so many times. I don't know how I could be so torn up over losing something I'd known so briefly. but I was/am. Another little piece of my soul, only $19.99

Be like the blue bird...

Be like the bluebird who never is blue,

For he knows from his upbringing what singing can do.

- From Cole Porter's "Be Like the Bluebird", 1934

I've had this very very old cutting board just hanging around my art space for the longest time, then out of nowhere I suddenly knew that it wanted to be painted red like a barn.

The bluebird just flew in of his own accord. For sale here.

And now for something completely different!

Here's a man playing a cello in exchange for a burrito. Viva New York City!

Lady, you are never dull.

A little wind in my sales...

I suppose I originally started created braille cards for much the same reason that I bought these two super neat little markers. You can write whatever you'd like and it will remain invisible until it's mate colors over it, revealing the message.

Braille cards aren't for everyone.

Like with my invisible marker, only certain people can read it (easily).

The average onlooker isn't going to pay any attention to the pretty dots on the paper, but to a blind person, or someone willing to take the initiative to look up the braille alphabet and do a little decoding, meaningful messages themselves reveal. ("Love is being stupid... together". Currently available here.)

I made most of these around Valentine's day, but I've continued production because

a) they sell and

b) I like to make them.

That's a very lovely combination.

I only have a couple more in stock in the store, but my head is full of ideas just frolicking around waiting to be commited to paper.

What the world needs...

Less hate.

More HUGS!

For a good time click here.

If I make it to Moab I'm gonna get my canteen filled.

There's nothing that the road cannot heal.
Yeah, there's nothing that the road cannot heal.
Washed under the black top, it's gone beneath my wheels.
There's nothing that the road cannot heal.
Vela grazie!
They say the sun won't burn forever but that's a science too exact
I can prove it, watch, we're crossing the state line.
See those headlights coming towards us? That's someone going back
To a town they said they'd never, yeah, they swore it on their life
But you can't break out of a circle
That you never knew you were in.
Washed under the black top, its gone beneath my wheels...
There's nothing that the road cannot heal. You can't see it very well in any of the pics I took, but the tree growing alongside the road is made up of the lyrics from that chorus.

Notice how the road looks like its a different texture than the rest of the painting?

That's because it's band aids.

And what gives the rest of the painting that spidery texture?

Medical gauze of course.

Every element of this piece is in keeping with the theme of healing.

Buy it here.

Thank You, Pearl Bailey

I think the 1970 Ambassador of love said it best

The sweetest joy,

the wildest woe is love.

This one was seriously fun to make.

I kind of went wild with the feathers and fabric and whatnot.

If the last painting was a funeral, then this one is a party...

every material in my reportoire wanted to be invited.

Invite her to your house, buy here.

Painting of the Summer 2009

What we have here is the painting of the Summer.

I know it's not over yet, but between our money issues, family issues, and scheduling issues, I don't think it's going to get much better.The title is a coin toss between

"Its farther than you think"

or

"The Let Down"

and, yes, I did permanently attach my favorite little pair of scissors to the painting. Don't you think artistic accuracy of emotional expression is worth sacrificing one small thing you love?

Having An Awesome Marriage 101

Because we are both crazy, passionate, goal oriented people, my hubby and I can go for days without really running into each other.

Even though we live in the same apartment and sleep in the same bed.

I'm not talking "see you tomorrow", either. I'm talking, "are you going to church this week? Cool, me too. See you on Sunday!"

But isn't communication the key to a successful marriage?

Sure!

But how do you communicate when you don't see each other for 3 or 4 days?

text messages and, of course... the bathroom mirror.

You know you've found the right one when he can make you laugh without even being there.

(He doesn't just print off the ones from the front page, either- he shuffles through them to find ones he knows I'll especially love).

a quick (and completely unentertaining) rant

There are some people whom I don't ask very much of. Seriously, the BARE MINIMUM. Simple things like leave me alone. don't call me. and I can't get that much. And alongside promises to do anything humanly possible, too... I guess letting me live in peace isn't humanly possible. I have very uncomplicated methods of keeping my sanity.

You can use my method too!

It's simple.

It's easy.

Are you ready? Cause here it is...

RUN!

Run far far away!

You don't even have to go far if you don't want to.

A tiger twenty feet from the tent is still outside the circus.

It only stops working when they chase you.