Introducing the Wine Flower

QUICK POST:

I made this.

Actually... I made these.

They're mighty purty.

You can get one here.

I'll be adding one a day for the next several weeks.

So if'n you like the concept, but don't fancy the color, then you just tune right back in tomorrow to see the next one I've listed.

Art!

Crafts!

Good times, whoohoo!

The Lost Mermaid

I was doing a full clean of my apartment today, and I found this painting.

I don't think I've seen it since the day I painted it.

Sometimes things get tucked away on the shelf and fall into oblivion. Books especially, or in this case, a painting on a book.

It might not my favorite, but it is much cuter than I remembered it.

Anyhoo, it has finally made it's way into the Etsy shop.

By the way, did you notice that my old store Loveaboveall magically became my new store Cleverish?

I'm still not sure if it's going to be a permanent switch.

If Cleverish doesn't earn it's keep, it might just die an untimely death, and loveaboveall will take over again.

We'll see.

Building a Better Bird

I have had some wonderful pets.

Radar... Beavura... Beauvra's mother, Panda

(Someday I will have to write a post about the 8 lb bundle of insanity that was PandaCat and my absolute love for her. I can't think about it too much, though, cause it inspires so much melancholy for me).

I've also had some bad pets... verrry bad pets.

i.e. Fiefel the hampster... my first (very poorly named) cat "Good Kitty"... and my involuntarily adopted pet skunk.

I can't think of words that describe how unwelcome that skunk was-

having a skunk living and BREEDING in the crawl space just below your bathroom is noooo fun.

Trust me.

Because, you see, the toilet makes a loud sound when it is flushed, which scares skunks, and when skunks are scared... well, you know what happens then.

"Hello... animal control? How fast can you get here?"

I don't know what compelled me to get the hampster... I guess he was pretty cute... but when all a pet does is bite you and run away, it gets pretty uncute quick... plus he learned this neat trick where he propped his back legs up into the corner of the cage, and propelled his pee outside his cage.

Did you know hampster pee is incredibly sticky and hard to clean?

Cause it is.

But there is one pet I would never imagine keeping... and that is a bird.

1) Why would you put something blessedly built for flight in a cage?

2)Birds do not WANT to be with you. I promise. They really don't.

3)They are LOUD.

4)Bird poop.

But I do LOVE birds...

as evidenced by my art:

Also, check out this pink lady who just took up residence in my studio:

Do you recognize her?

Yep. She's the message bearing birdy from this painting.

Adopt her today by clicking here.

I promise she won't poop on your couch.

much.

Space Deer: a deer from space

Peter: What is it?

Me: Art.

Cause, sometimes, it just is. And it is also for sale.

Heavy (er)

My newest series of paintings is my attempt to be a little deeper.

I don't know why, but somehow I got all hung up on painting birds.

I didn't plan on it, but time and time again I sat down to paint and each time a feathery little critter would wind up peering out at me.

So... instead of flowers or scenes or birds I'm trying to explore the concept of being connected.

It's been a recurring theme in my writing for years, most notably this poem;

(Long time readers will recognize this as the poem I wrote after the death of a friend in 2007.)

I fell asleep in the bath

and dreamt the whole world was an ocean

and everyone was connected

moving together in fluid motion.

Everyone who'd ever lived and everyone who

ever would mingled together unaware

that their past and future

were presently there.

Suddenly I found myself

tangled up in reef

and as I lost my last breath

friends waved goodbye with grief.

I closed my eyes as my heart stopped

then opened them to find

that I was quite healthy,

but completely blind

to everything that in my dream

I'd learned I could see;

Nothing but cold bath water as company.

So I observed my hands

my wrinkled fingers and toes/ and contemplated life and time

and how mysteriously she flows.

Some art just makes itself.

Some paintings just seem to make themselves.

Like this one based on a well loved verse; "I will hide your word in my heart that I may not sin against God."

One part found object (a wooden tray)

One part paint.

A dash of old wire, and a smattering of beeswax

Mix well with a heaping helping of inspiration from this lady's style, and voila- a gloriously gritty work of art.

Buy it here.

folky + vintage = what's new

If you haven't been by my shop in a while you might be surprised by some of the new things living there.

Some prints have moved in as well as some hand stitched cards

and there's even some new originals!

Actually, maybe I shouldn't call them new... since they're on vintage wood pieces (i.e. antique chopping boards)

Remember that thing I used to do...

Remember that thing I used to do where I mixed up paint and put it on canvas or wood or something until it kind of looked like something?

Well... I still do that... and the result is still up for grabs at

my shop