The final chapters of a book are always …(not sure what the word is)…but something. I reach a certain point where I realize I’m nearing the end and I try to read slower, but barely do because I’m so excited and read every chance I can – the train, the short walk from the elevator to my office, the crowded Pax in Times Square on a lunch break (it was there that I nearly jumped out of my chair wanting to tell everyone about what the rabbits endured – it was that good).

But there’s nothing better than finishing a good book. You turn the last page and you breathe in the last bits of the characters and their surroundings. You might even feel a bit sad or lonely because in a way, you’re losing these characters. I was in a pizza place on Graham ave when this happened. Afterwards, I decided that the only thing to do was to paint. I think the spirit of the book really came through in the piece.

p.s. Thanks Chris for taking my lovely photos!

A friend of mine needed some business cards, so I decided to make some out of watercolor. 

I think they turned out nicely! (minus the fact that they are all slightly crooked! I can’t cut in a straight line, but it gives them character.)

Pardon the grainy photos, I took these on my phone a few minutes before meeting her to hand them over.

Good luck at the conference friend!

xoxo

There’s something about being in an art studio/class that makes my heart skip and feel calm at the same time. The smell of paint, the paint covered easels from previous students, being surrounded by other talented artists eager to paint and learn – it all makes me happy.

So as soon as I walked into the room last night, I felt comfortable. I was at ease.

But feeling challenged is also good and I want to grow as an artist.

What does this mean? That for the next few weeks I draw.

I’m very nervous about drawing. 

I admit that I hide in my blurry color swirls, but I think  (know) that brushing up on these fundamentals will ultimately help me create even better paintings.

As one guy put it, “it’s like taking two sticks and making a fire. Once you do that, you can do anything.”

So here’s to trying new things.

These are some snaps of my new painting. Let’s see what happens after a few weeks of drawing and when I return to painting. It will be an interesting experiment!

I love volunteering and I love the kids I work with even more. Last week, we made marbleized paper. I have to say that the students had swirlier turnouts than I did! My sample looked more like a speckled egg! Our projects work best when I bring a sample to class. This way the kids actually see what we are making. Plus, it’s a great chance to do some fun art!

I found this project online. It was super easy, super messy, but super fun!

The best part about that day? Having one of the kids who just wanted to play on the computer actually participate in our project. He was not interested in making art with us AT ALL and was very adamant about not coming to class. Three volunteers tried getting him to come, but I managed to talk him into it. Seeing him excited about the project and promising to participate in future projects made my week. If you are in New York, come volunteer with us! Giving back is so, so rewarding. Thanks to everyone that participated and my great co-team leaders!

Hooray for volunteering! NY Cares Day 2011 is coming up! I’ll be posting information about my mural soon! 

What you need:

• Food coloring
• Vegetable oil
• Paper
• Baking pan
• Water

1. Take the food coloring and cooking oil and put it in a glass or cup to stir. I used these glasses at home, but at the class we used little craft containers.

2. Mix the oil and food coloring to make the colors you want. Stir it quickly like a salad dressing.

3. This part looks super cool…

4. Put enough water in the pan so it’s a thin layer at the bottom (my sample has too much). Add the food coloring/oil mixture to the pan. It should float to the top of the surface.

5. Take the paper and place it on top of the water. When you pull it off, you’ll have different swirls and patterns. To make more patterns, just take the mixture and drop it on the paper directly. Move the paper around to make shapes and things you like!

** Have a kind roommate help you out when you realize it was stupid to wear a nice camera while playing with oil and food coloring… have him document the rest of the photos **

The result? Fun paper! 

Last week I took a day off to work on some art and the kitties decided to help. Many times they hid the scissors with their furry tails making me feel as if I lost my mind because “dammit! I just had them!”

Caesar (the black kitty) loves sitting on lumps. He never likes to sit on soft things, he prefers piles of books; shoes or anything that looks like it would be uncomfortable. His sister just likes to get into everything and runs around like a mini tornado. 

Aren’t they adorable?

The new project is something in the works, more to come.

oh and he also likes to wear shoes.

Some new paintings (and an old one finally finished)…

let your creative spirit rush * flow * tumble * leak * spring * bubble * steam * dribble * out of you…

a little reminder from the lovely words of sark and something i’ve been trying to live by lately.

running through open skies with butterflies

and flowers…

lonely swamp birds…

and mountains and forests of color…
**

these are some new paintings for a small gallery in my hometown Dysart, Iowa!

**

My new painting class is wonderful. I can’t wait to share some of the things I’ve been working on!

…to my walls

our last class is today. i have loved every minute of it. while i was consistently late (job), i only missed a class once and stayed until the end most nights. i think my style is evolving (which is exciting!) and i can’t wait for my next summer class!

here are the paintings i produced in this class – note that some of them may get some final touches, but for now, they are complete.