Truth be told, it was never a dog house. Pookie (the dog) was anxious to model it and I was anxious to share - before the bunnies were created.
A friend asked me if I had any sort of pattern for the house. I am happy to say "no". I am the architect, builder, interior designer and creator of little creatures. I even knitted the blanket on super small knitting needles. This is what I lay awake in bed at night and think about. I am planning on improving the process with the next little playhouse.
Instinct.
I was thrilled to have received a comment from the PR manager of Sharpie last week when I posted the photo of my impulsive drawing on my hand. Thanks, Sharpie! I also want to thank Sharpie Susan for noting that Sharpies are not tested for the use on skin and so it is not encouraged. I used the new Sharpie Pen, which I do love. It doesn't seem quite as toxic as the permanent markers, but I really don't think it's a good idea to write on yourself with any writing utensil. Although, a couple of times I have drawn a little temporary doodle on myself with an eyeliner pencil. I'm sure that would be okay. (See: What the Bleep Do We Know?) The Sharpie Fun I have resorted to is drawing mehndi on magazine hands. I did black out a tooth and draw a mustache, goatee and glasses on a beautiful fashion model, but that seemed both too crude and trite to post. The article on Intuition was from an October 2006 issue of Family Circle. It was a lovely reminder to trust yourself. In a nutshell – your subconscious mind holds plenty of useful information so don't over-analyze everything. Quiet your mind. Feel your gut. Listen to your heart.
8x10 - mixed media
It seems ironic that I received the Lemonade Award this week as I have been dealt quite a few lemons as well. Since my focus for this blog is to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and latch on the the affirmative I'll refrain from a long rant that could have begun last Sunday. Instead I'll put all that behind me and begin again, as I say I do. Strangely, someone at work mentioned that he thought I might be more patient and more tolerant than Job himself. I assured him that I am not patient, nor tolerant, only that I suppress my feelings until I can no longer stand the pressure. Then, I explode and fall to pieces, like the rear window of my mini-van.
My very first Blog Award. Thanks Jennifer!
While I want very badly to be drawing and painting, I find it much easier to play on the computer. I was very excited to find this great tutorial on Design Sponge. (So happy to have stumbled upon the whole blog). I was led there through this link on Life Craft, an art and inspiration blog that I enjoy regularly.
I've uploaded my outdoor skating photos to flickr. The girls both got new skates for Christmas and share Daddy's enthusiasm. The thought of skating, to me, is romantic, but in reality I am a little tense and need to learn to relax and enjoy. The whole family has to beg me to go and I am glad they do. The photo above is from a spot we call "Big Pond". It's a wetland area, pretty shallow but expansive. It has changed quite a bit over the years. This year we were disappointed to see that all of the trees have died. I'm assuming it's due to man's desire to control nature. The Army Corps of Engineers is building lots of levees in an attempt to reduce flooding. At this point in time, the effort is causing more flooding. The photo below is the golf course near our house - completely flooded. The ice was wet on top, but very, very smooth!
This whole section of the golf course was flooded, along with the walking path. We were sure to stay away from the ponds.
This is not a pattern. It does not repeat. It's a gathering of bits and pieces of patterns I have observed – mostly textiles in an issue of "Architectural Digest." I do love textile design, especially the floral and foliage patterns of William Morris. I would like to incorporate some more complex shapes into my circles, as well as look to nature for color and pattern inspiration.
I did not realize when I began my earliest work of mandalas, how much I loved pattern and repetition. It is in hindsight that it occurred to me how comforting it is to create. People seem to respond to my work with the same feeling of comfort. Life is an uncertain mystery. Sometimes is nice to know what to expect – what's next.
I did show up in my studio 5 days this week. Yesterday I quickly sketched a pattern idea inspired by nature. Part of me would like to work on this piece digitally and part of me wants to research the process used by William Morris. Oh, I guess I don't have to choose one of those two options. I could do both.
The moss I started the fairy garden with did not survive indoors, as I had hoped. I had to pull it all out. From the dollar bin at Target I grabbed a little pine tree to be grown from seed. I love growing seeds and cannot resist paying a dollar for a kit even though we haven't had much success after the sprouting stage.
I also bought the fairies a hyacinth from Trader Joe's. Won't it be lovely when it blooms?
Do you see Ellie's fairy jumprope made from embroidery floss and two beads? And, of course, the bottle cap blueberry pie.
