Happy Halloween! I didn't even realize it until I went to write this post but the word "flicker" is very Halloweeny. Don't you think? I always think Halloween really marks the point in fall when it's about to turn into winter with the leaves crunching beneath your feet, all the orange pumpkins on the porches and that cold brisk wind. We have owls by where I live and if you listen very carefully at night time you can hear them and if you are lucky enough you might spot one swooping over a field. So this week creative word was "flicker." I immediately thought of a candle or something fire related but I thought what sort of animals have a sort of flicker in their eyes. Even though owls look incredibly cuddley and adorable- they have big beaks and dangerous claws but they are so lovely to look at but do love that sense of danger behind their eyes which is the whole point of flicker. Tonight is Nora's big night and we are taking her trick or treati...
I can not believe it's already Friday but I am so looking forward to this weekend.  I have a lady thrifting date planned and hopefully I will find some vintage treasures.  We are going estate sale-ing and I have to work on the map- so that we can maximize our thrifting experience.  lol doesn't it make me sound hard core, but I learned with a little research and planning - I can hit the best estate sales. I have gotten into the habit of setting up a thrift date once a month for the last couple of months and I look forward to it. Not only do I get to hang out with my gal pals but I love finding things to inspire my art work.  We all meet up at my house and we go early at least early for the weekend and then we get a fluffy coffee and then we head out to hunt and gather. :) I have been in the studio a lot of this week and working late but I have to say isn't this little camera adorable? I particularly loving the mint and the flash.  I finished painting this last night aro...
I am drawn to the ocean- the sound of the ocean waves, the birds skimming the water and walking in the wake. Going to the coast is one of the most relaxing places especially when your toes are buried in the sand and if it's a warm day with the sun warming the sand.  My parents live out on the coast and we visit them quite often.  It's one of the best escapes.  The dunes that lead up to the ocean swirl up toward the sand and it fells like your walking the path in a Robert Frost poem- it is that beautiful and romantic. My dogs get so excited to clammer up the path to the ocean getting more and more excited to run their feet in the soft wet sand.  I did a drawing of the beach by my parents house with high weedy dunes and there are lots of critters hidden all over the place.  I think I have seen everything from black bears, deer, and the biggest blue birds I have ever seen in my life- in fact they are so big you take a handful of peanuts and put it out and they swallow peanuts i...
Happy Tuesday! I always do some vintage type still lifes especially meant for this show.  I started painting vintage little treasures maybe a couple of years ago and now I just love looking for everyday old items to paint. I think my favorites are clocks, radios, cameras and typewriters. The real clock I found at an estate sale for 50 cents.   I think my favorite era of time to thrift is the 50's and 60's and just love the use of color and how much personality it has.  Tonight I am having a few lovely ladies over to screen print- yah! so excited.  What are you up to today?  Oil Painting on 8X8 wood board.    Want to see previous work for this show?  Big400 / Big 300 / Big 200 / Big 100 Details: Date: December 14th- 2 p.m. and runs until January 21st. Location:   Peoples Art of Portland Gallery 700 SW Fifth (3rd floor) People's is Suite 4005, Portland, Oregon There are over 400 artists participating in the 6th Annual Big 400 Show and all art is $50.  It is a cas...
What are you up to this weekend? Fall is in full swing and the weather has been amazingly warm and the leaves are changing. It's been so warm that almost no jacket required. yah! When the weather is like this I could spend all day at the beach, drinking hot coco from a thermos and looking for seashells in the sand.  Sometimes I just want to freeze time like in this photo. ...
Happy Thursday! This week's A Tiny Bee's project was "speckle" and I have always thought speckled is such a pretty word . It's sort of funny that words can be pretty or maybe even delightful or even bring a little sparkle of joy, that a word can convey a feeling versus the meaning.   I think what's sort of special about this word is that something speckle-y is usually involving polka dots and my mind immediately goes to a bird which bird eggs are usually have some sort of speckles and they are usually pretty adorable little eggs that are tucked deep into a nest.   So I painted this lovely fat sparrow which is one of my favorite birds.  Do you ever watch the tv show Portlandia? If you haven't seen it- it's a tv show based upon where I live because Portland is a pretty unusual place.. a special place but lots of strange and unique.  I adore the show and have had my artwork in it the last couple of seasons, which is sort of crazy to think about.  Anyway...
I know what your thinking.. no not the Palms in Vegas but this is the The Palms in Portland, Oregon. :) This motor hotel is a cheappie place out on the east side of town and I have always loved its sign. There is a little glowing monkey that is climbing up the palm tree and the arrow lights are just plain awesome because of the way they glitter. I still have 6 more little paintings to go for the Big 400 show and still feel like I have a long way to go.  I always start out painting like I can totally make all 10 of these and it's going to go by so quick and then when I hit the middle I feel like I'm not painting or working fast enough and I will never be able to make the deadlines. I know I can do it! but who needs sleep? especially when I am chasing around a 15 month old during the day. The weather has been pretty incredible the last few days and Nora has insisted going on her daily nature hike down the street. We found a caterpillar the other day and she was so tickled pin...
I love to read and I love a good delicious book. but a lot of my free time is sucked away into making art. Painting is were my heart is. So I realized I can either make art or read and even though I love to read- making art always wins.  In my studio I listen to a lot of music and records but I have started listening to podcasts because I since I am not able to really read why not start listening to podcasts? I have never really been into books on tape or talk radio and I was craving something a little more substantial.  I mean lets just say it reading books makes your brain smart and I don't know about you but when I am reading I feel my brain getting smarter. lol- So since being a mom and making art and having no time to read anything and my free time is dedicated to my art.  I had a friend suggest to me to start listening to podcasts and it's something you can do while creating something.  I am just going to be honest listening to something like talk radio reminds me of my...
This week's assignment was collection. The first thing that pop's into my brain when I think of collection is of that Little Mermaid song- when she is a mermaid and she is looking at all her treasures that she has collected from human ship wrecks like a spoon, a fork and a thimble. Do you remember that song? I am so going to get that song stuck in my head. Well I have to say I am a collector! I love to go thrifting and to estate sales and auctions... I love a good hunt for old things.  I have learned over time to let myself collect a few certain things versus everything! because I secretly want everything. This is one of my favorite things- its an old Oliver typewriter #5 that mom gave me last Christmas.  I love typewriters- and I have about 4 now but I used to have a lot more.  This one is extra special because it's so much older than my other typewriters - it was made in 1909- which is crazy to think of something as over 100 years old and still works and types. I love...
Here is my next one for the upcoming holiday art show the Big 400 .  I have been sort of obsessed with painting portraits lately and have been getting the face images from Busted.  So if you have gotten in trouble with the law- your mug shot is public record. yikes! I just think it's really funny looking at the pictures and some of the people are smiling! I've never been arrested but I would probably be crying my eyes out if I did.  I did called for jury duty once and I didn't get picked for the jury but it still freaked me out just being in the building.  I am afraid of danger :) lol.  It is also interesting to me the people who look just bored and that they look like they have a little bit of guilt in their eyes but they have to put on this bored exterior to survive it all.  I think that's like a lot of people- even the ones who haven't gotten into trouble. It's gorgeous weather here today and we are getting out of the studio to enjoy some of that beauti...
Oh this place. This is the place that when you would stay out all night long way past my bed time now and would go get breakfast or greasy burgers at 3 in the morning. I remember my friends and I would pile up in my 1987 Honda and go wait in line for burgers or breakfast. Even though it is called the Hot Cake House- we would call it the Pancake House and it's one of the few places in the city that is open all night long. The line to get in this place was always long after 2 am and while you waited in line you could see the cooks on the griddle cooking like crazy people and I can still smell the grease. :)   I have been painting a lot of Portland at night lately because I love the glow and the electric signs. I also have to paint the electric wires more delicately.  What are you up to today?   Want to see previous work for this show?  Big 300 / Big 200 / Big 100 Details: Date: December 14th- 2 p.m. and runs until January 21st. Location:   Peoples Art of Portland Gallery ...
I started painting for the 6th annual Big 400.  I started painting for this show when there was only 30 artists and now it has grown to over 400 artists, hence the name the Big 400.   It's still crazy to just  think how small it was and now how big of an art show it is.  I am so grateful they want me to be apart of the show every year because its one of my favorites.  Its a show that's gotten so large that people line up hours before just to get their hands on artwork.  I sold out my artwork the last couple of years and last year my work sold out opening night.  Each artists can choose up to 10 paintings to have in show, and I always feel a little bit of pressure for this show because I want to make amazing work... well I guess I feel the pressure every time I make something lol. Each artists get 10 pieces of wood all of the same size and all the paintings are hung together in no particular order and there are no signs with no names.  It's a cash and carry show- so you ...