Dark Chocolate with Buttercream Icing

I told myself I would start going to bed every night at 9pm and read - or sew. The back to school schedule has started and over the summer I turned into a late sleeping night owl. Here I am at 10pm blogging. I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I would share the 4 felt cupcakes I just finished. They are literally "cup" cakes. The pattern I didn't like had felt glued to a piece of card stock to create the side. I decided, if I cut down a paper cup it would have a nice strong reinforced bottom, too. Worked pretty well. Ellie thinks they are awesome. Maya thinks they are cute, but said "who would buy that?" I told her a little girl that likes to have pretend tea parties or likes to play bakery or kitchen. She thought that made sense.

I always feel I "should" be painting. I have a pop up show next week. I have quite enough work for that, including new pieces. Waiting to hear if I made it into the Salon Show. And, I was offered to hang 3 pieces in a group show at the end of September. I'd really like to create something new and beautiful for that.

Loving Felt

I am torn between art and craft these days. Still painting, but I whipped up a felt cupcake. I didn't like the way it went together. On my next one, I won't be following any directions. I have my own ideas on improving the process. The purse was made by Ellie. I am very proud of her careful selection of colors and materials, her newly learned skill of hand sewing, and her follow through to complete the project. She is planning on making more and selling them.

Potential

I've spent quite a lot of time in my studio the past few days. A little confused and frustrated. I'm experimenting a lot - which is good. Content and technique? What am I trying to say and how do I say it? I came back to that small piece from yesterday that I didn't care for. Resorted back to green. Scissored up the contour into two separate shapes. Sketched a little more. Threw down a few more watercolor washes. This may have the potential for collage.

Somewhere between here and there

I have visions of flat, simplified modern patterns. Last night I worked on the above painting and it inadvertently took a more natural form. I quickly did the painting below today. No pencil drawing first - just doodling with the brush. I thought if I steered clear of green, it would be more stylized, but I don't like the colors. Back to the drawing board.

Look What I Grew

I love green beans!

And, I am anxiously awaiting many,

many grape tomatoes.

I buy them every trip to the grocery store

and eat them everyday.

Home-grown is so much better. : )

Art Start

A better way to start the day. Wake up early. Limit the amount of time spent surfing the internet. Get in the studio, even if you are still in your pajamas. And start drawing.

Hand Carved Stamps

Today is the first day of a week of vacation. It is oppressively hot out and even though I've spent pretty much the entire day in air conditioning – I feel lethargic and lazy. The longer I moped around, the more difficult it was to begin anything. I couldn't let a day pass without having something to show for it. So at 9pm I whipped out my first attempt at little eraser hand carved stamps. I didn't plan anything. I just did quick doodles right on the eraser and had the first one carved in about 1 minute. I knew when I did get around to making one, it wouldn't be about an independent single object, but a piece of something bigger like non-repeating patterns.

Peppers and Flowers

I had questioned the labeling of broccoli and kohlrabi. There is a chance I was mistaken on that one, but the four pepper plants I bought most certainly said "sweet bell." Don't know why this plant never grew any bigger? It did grow a pepper, which looks like some sort of Hungarian banana pepper. I watched it each day. Then, yesterday it was gone. I can't imagine a raccoon or any other critter wanting to eat a pepper? I guess that critter changed his mind because I located my one pepper in the yard about 15 feet from the plant, slightly nibbled, but pretty much intact.

Today I stopped at a greenhouse for some end-of-the-season bargains. I got some great deals plus a FREE flat of vegetable plants! All they had left was peppers. That was fine with me. It is a little late to be getting them in the ground, but the hot pepper plants in their small containers have already grown enough for the pickin'. And, I could verify that the sweet bells are, in fact what they say they are.

Act Fast

I tend to have many creative ideas that I do not act upon. For years I was fine with that - letting ideas fizzle and fade away. I am no longer fine with that. I am happy creating and unhappy not creating. Simple as that. So when painting feels too daunting or serious, I've decided to have fun with felt and embroidery and mini little bits of cuteness.

I imagined when I started working part-time that I would spend hours everyday making things like this. You know, while toddlers sat quietly on the floor and stacked blocks for hours? Yeah. That never happened. So now my little girls have almost outgrown this sort of thing and I am trying to catch up with that old idea before it completely fades. It is because they are bigger that I can find the time to do it. They are growing so fast that Ellie is turning into an entrepreneur and my production manager. Our plan is to someday sell at a local craft fair. She has been very busy making her button rings and when she finds me browsing on Etsy, she says "Mom, stop looking at art and start making some art." She started out much more productive than me and told me I had lots of work to do. I'm getting there.

[Flowers for barrettes and hair clips.]

That's Not Broccoli

I thought I planted 8 broccoli plants. Eight plants growing in a row looking very much the same all this time. I believe they were marked "broccoli" at the farm. Or maybe one 4 pk. was and the other nearby looked the same? Yesterday I noticed, tucked down in the very large leaves, broccoli starting to peek out. I went down the row to check the health of each plant. No broccoli on 4 of the 8. Hey! That's not broccoli, it's kohlrabi. I'm glad I like kohlrabi. Only a few short years ago did I learn what it was. Imagine my confusion if I hadn't.

The celery is coming along quite nicely. It occurred to me that I will probably need to give away some celery. I am the only one in the family who eats it and I cannot eat 4 heads myself. Who knows? Maybe the excitement of growing it will inspire kids to eat it?

aaaaahhhhh.....

Four nights at the ballpark has ended with a great weekend of softball tournaments. I have found enough time to paint a few more little paintings. I should be able to move onto large projects now.

Picking

Today I picked strawberries from my little garden patch for the fourth time in the past couple of weeks. This pile is going in the freezer since I've been picking more than anyone is eating. Having perennial plants that bear fruit is quite wonderful.

Unfinished

Maybe it is finished? I don't know? When a painting sits for a while, sometimes they are hard to come back to. Sometimes what I thought was unfinished, might be enough?

Hermitage

Hermitage is my optimistic or polite way of saying "leave me alone."

My little Lucky dog shares my affinity for digging. However, I do not think lying in a dirt hole is a cool thing to do. She does. Actually, climbing in a hole doesn't sound half bad these days.

After a long week of unexplained extreme agitation I needed some quiet solitude and found it in my garden. Expanding the garden and turning it by shovel rather than rototiller is probably not good for my recently ailed back and feet, but I don't care. I spent hours and hours and hours gardening this weekend. I am fatigued and happy. At one point my neighbor came out to see me working so hard and said "You should get Darrin out here to finish this for you." My answer: "No. He's not the gardener. I'm the gardener."

before and after. whew.

I'll be sure to share the progress of growing veggies: Broccoli, celery, peppers, tomatoes, onions, green beans and cucumbers. All squeezed in a little too tight as my strawberries continue to encroach the space.

The patio is my sanctuary. I should spend more time there, even if it's just for a few moments. Below: wild indigo.

Little bits here and there

Anyone who has been within earshot of me knows that "I am at the ball park four nights a week." I have realized that this does not mean I am overly busy and constantly running. Sitting at the park watching a ball game can be quite relaxing. (if it's warmer than 45˚ - brrr) Maintaining my creativity is challenging while I don't seem to have much time at home. But, over the weekend I freely sketched a variety of leaves on a large sheet of watercolor paper. Day after day, I find myself sneaking into the studio - even if just for a few minutes at a time - to put some paint down. Not finished yet, but progress.

While driving to the chiropractor today I thought to myself "where have I found the time for this?" Probably six hours a week, driving, sitting, and treatments. I am finally at the point of a breakthrough as I casually mentioned today that I should have told her from the get-go that I have severe foot pain every morning when I get out of bed. The first few steps are very difficult. And then, my feet loosen up and in a very short time I completely forget about it. Diagnosis: plantar fasciitis. This surprised me because every time I have heard about plantar fasciitis it has been long distant runners and specifically - heel pain. But, it's not just about running (perhaps playing "Just Dance" with the Wii in barefeet?) And it is not just about heel pain. The whole bottom of my feet hurt: arch, ball and toes. I'm throwing this out there to other people that might not realize an ounce of treatment could be worth a pound of avoided complications.

On one more separate note...I don't know which of my friends, who sat around the campfire here on Saturday night, brought the bottle of Merlot? Thank you. I am currently enjoying a glass of it. : )

Budding

Two more paintings.

6x6. Watercolor and gouache.

Back to Painting

6x6 acrylic on paper. Untitled.

Crafting cute little things is a joyful distraction, but I won't be satisfied without exploring nature, my abstract thoughts, and paint.

I'm Not Complaining

I'm not complaining, but Good Lord, how much more can I take? I guess it does sound like I am complaining because when I saw friends at the ball park today and they asked me "How are you?" my response is "Pretty horrible." After my twisted ankle felt good enough to run on, I ended up with a back ache. When I returned from the chiropractor on Wednesday feeling better, I started sneezing. Today I went to urgent care because this feels like so much more than your typical chest cold. I've had bronchitis that felt better than this. But, the doctor said my lungs sound good, so just rest and liquids. Maybe, I do just need to slow down and learn how to relax? I find it very difficult to let things go, but apparently I am learning. Because the house is a wreck and I am falling far behind on laundry. Doesn't really make me feel any better.

... but this does. I settled in and watched a movie with the girls. We had not seen the first Kung Fu Panda. I came away from it with this wisdom. "There is no secret ingredient. To make something special you just have to believe it's special."

On a similar subject, today Ellie discovered the joy of making button rings. She bought a little book and whipped one right up (then another.) And that inspired me to lug out the various large tins of buttons and start sorting them by colors as I have thought of doing for years. I figure it might slow me down to just sit and sort.

Note to self: Relax. Let go. Make something special.

Yesterday and Today - again

I won't bore you with lame excuses of why my Everyday in May posting is off to a rough start. Let's just say after 2 trips to the chiropractor (kinesiologist) in 3 days my back ache is feeling much, much better.

I did attempt a little mandala (yes 'becca, my flower was a mandala) I wasn't happy with it, but Maya really liked it. So, I finished it off for her with a lightening bolt on the flip side. Which led to other magical ideas with the Harry P font.

Ellie's constant web searching of puppy pictures made me think to try a beagle, although it needs longer ears and some minor adjustments with the nose and eyes. Still, a cute puppy.

Yesterday and Today

It is the 2nd day in May and not too late for me to decide to create (and post) something everyday in May. Last night I experimented with the little girl face in felt. Today, a modern abstract flower shape. As expected, Art Chicago on Saturday spurred my desire to draw and paint and make art. I thought I would toss the felt aside. Not yet. But, mention of an opportunity for a show (pop-up gallery) in June has my brain storming ideas of what I would like to create before then. It's not enough that I have enough to fill the space. When given a chance to show, it would be irresponsible not to take full advantage with fresh, new pieces.

The Flip Side

As I promised in yesterday's post -

the inside of the bottle cap charms

that I finished last night.

Charming

I fell in love with paper glaze after reading about it on How About Orange. And, I've been wanting to make some bottle cap charms for quite some time. Darrin thinks it's funny that I always save my cap. Well finally I have done something with a few. I've made these charms reversible with my little felt friends on the inside. Of the first two I made, Ellie wears the bunny and the blue kitty is mine. You'll have to wait for the reveal on the next seven. I just poured the paper glaze and they will have to dry overnight.

Happy Easter

Spring Time!

It's that time of year. Eggs everywhere symbolizing new life. This looks like a Cadbury chocolate egg, but no. This is a robin egg that Darrin found in the yard today. I picked it up and held it gently between the palms of my hands and got this overwhelming feeling that there is a fully formed live healthy bird inside. It cannot possibly hatch? I don't know what will happen here? I should probably move it far from the dining room table because, as I said, it looks like candy.