Having a moment

I am having a moment. It isn't actually one moment, it is a two week long string of moments in which I have not the tiniest extra moment to paint. Many of these strung-together moments are very good things- a long visit with family, seeing my best friend for the first time in months & months, a wonderful professional opportunity... but for someone who has a great appreciation for alone time, I'm definitely having a moment. 


I will be back on Monday, after a couple of days of quiet, after the two-week long "moment" has passed. Hopefully in that quiet, one of these paintings will get a little attention & decide what it wants to be when it grows up.

Feature Art Friday: I TOLD you it would turn into a house!

I'm a sucker for a sunset

I do love the beach- for many reasons, but one of the best is the sunsets. The sunset over water in general makes me really happy, makes me quiet & makes me want to stop whatever I'm doing to watch the show. I'm a sucker for a sunset. I was lucky enough to see this one from a boat on a recent trip to the gulf coast. Check out the color changes in the clouds... makes my hands itch to paint!

  

Flea Market Inspiration

Nothing like a little flea market inspiration... I thought it might help me decide on my next project, so I can stop standing in the corner of the garage, hands on hips staring at the options.

Feature Art Friday: It's going to be a house

It's going to be a house... you're just going to have to trust me on this. Photos of the second half of the process next week...

Second chances

I was driving down Kavanaugh Blvd. in Little Rock in search of frozen yogurt & just LOOK what I happened upon.

Remember this post?

Well the knitting goddesses of public art have smiled upon me... it happened again & this time it is quite literally hugging a tree.

Just when I thought there couldn't be anyway I could love it more...

It is colorful, fun & quirky- some of the best things, if you ask me. (or my friend Pat, who was sympathetic to my missed opportunity to photograph the last bit of knitted whimsy)

It made me smile to stop the car, get out & walk around each tree until I was dizzy.

This time I get to share it with you- don't you love it? I knew you would.

Aren't second chances wonderful? Almost as great as a tree wrapped in knitted art.

Flea Market Love: Candle Lanterns

I love these little candle lanterns... so much, in fact they almost stayed with me. But they didn't- they are available for purchase here.

Feature art Friday: Love (still) lives here

I know... I've said it before. Recently, in fact. This phrase is stuck in my head & honestly there are worse problems to have, than to have such a lovely thought about your home stuck in your head. This art happened very quickly- in a matter of hours, in fact. First I painted the background, then I cut the colorful letters from a vintage children's book. (Don't worry... it was a library discard. Those are usually books that have been at least partially destroyed or "loved to death" after being checked out by many children over the years.) So the letters & pieces of the house were cut from some of the really large colorful photos in the book. I stamped & doodled the black detailing in the sky, then added the letters. I did paint "lives" but that is the only thing besides the background. Something like this would probably be a fun project for someone who swears that they aren't creative. Try it, you might surprise yourself. Prints available here.

More magic from the hot air balloon festival

Just a little more magic for you from the hot air balloon festival... next year I hope I get to actually go up in the sky in one of these... flying through the air in a big basket, being carried along by a giant balloon? Now THAT really does sound like magic!

Flea Market Love: Trellis before & after

Another wrought iron flea market find... painted celery green. I painted this basket a similar green last summer & I still love it... 

Feature Art Friday: Pauli the Rescue Dog

This is Pauli, a rescue dog I recently painted.

Pauli owns the Patton family, the extraordinary family who has saved the lives of an amazing number of dogs.

You can read a little more about the Patton family here.

Seeing something magical

Something magical happened in Little Rock. I thought it was magical- if you have ever seen a field full of hot air balloons up close, you may not find it out of the ordinary but I really thought it was magical. I took photos of this balloon as it filled with air & was awestruck by how quickly it went from a pile of colorful fabric to a massive mode of transportation. They are so BIG up close... and we were very close! This balloon came to life as we stood in the concession line, close enough that we could feel the heat from the torches once they were turned on. When the balloon is on its side they use a big fan to begin to fill it with air before firing up the torches. I'll post more photos next week of the whole field with more of the balloons- they are beautiful at night when the torches are firing. Enjoy!