Tea Party at Sharon's

My friend Sharon gave a tea party yesterday and invited Verna and I to help with it. We had so much fun over two days, making the food together. She invited 8 ladies we know who have all lost their husbands, including my mom. It was a delightful afternoon.

My adorable mom
My dear friends, Sharon and Verna talk to the ladies:
Verna made these amaretto cream cups and a cheese terrine with nut sauce and her famous shortbreadI made a strawberry and pistachio pavlova (foreground, below)and lemon curd tart. Sharon made the chocolate raspberry cakes, a stacked sandwich loaf, quiche and more things than I can remember.
My mom's place setting
Pre-party champs with my friends:

A video of my mom talking about how she first met my dad.

I Love this commercial

So Simple, So True

Shanna Murray's Decals

Some Music Videos I Like

I remember staying up past midnight with my kids to watch videos on friday night on WTBS, this was around 1987, and in the days of Peter Gabriel, his video Sledgehammer which is an awesome example of stop motion animation, which I am fascinated by.



I adore these children in costume, singing with Ryan Gosling:










Also, this is hilarious

Most of the above links I got from this blog, http://therebeccaartemisa.blogspot.com/

and her friend is http://grahamkahler.blogspot.com where I found the Key Video

Tybee Island

I just watched a really dumb Miley Cyrus movie, The Last Song, but it was worth it to see the views of Tybee Island, near Savannah, Ga, where I spent some of the best days of my life.
There is a scene towards the end where the white tops of grass are waving against the sea. Gosh, that cold January day? Oh, what fun we had.

A Fun Weekend

My unfinished painting.
Asparagus marinated in olive oil and oregano.
Salmon!
A Montepulciano (sp?) delicious.
Colors
Maiya's first painting. Zoe looks on adoringly. Her arms are too short to paint. Zoe's arms, not Maiya's.

Niki working on her painting, which is one of mine she loved that I got the idea from Ballard Designs. Can't ever sell it, because it's too close to the original, but it's a good learning piece.
Saturday we had the most awesome weather. I got to do KH inspections with Dave in Renton, Sumner and Buckley. Met some interesting people.

Then we had the first barbecue of the summer and it was warm enough to sit outside and eat it! Dave has a new way of cooking steaks he is quite excited about. I forgot to take any pictures.

Then on Sunday, after our meeting, some friends came over. Niki has been after me for awhile to show her some ideas for painting backgrounds, so I had the good idea of asking them over and asking her husband to fix dinner for us all. It was delightful. He made stuffed mushrooms, linguine, grilled salmon and asparagus and Dave did some steaks.

Maiya came too and painted her first painting and I did one too, that is not done.

I had been in a painting slump. I enjoy painting with people, especially one. But that is not possible right now, so it was nice to teach someone something. I think when you are trying to tell someone how to paint, it makes you think so much harder about why and how, you make some leaps. Anyway, it was a a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Another thing about listing on etsy

Please put your name and anything that is in the painting people could search in the title. Like if there are feathers and snakes, put that in your title. If there are bikes and birds and breasts, put that in your title. People search for those things. Also, if there is room you can put in the colors. People will find you.

I love seeing your art. It makes me hope.

Arty Stuff and Back Pain

The last couple of weeks has been a blurry haze of pain, painkillers and muscle relaxers. My doctor thinks I have a new bulging disc in my lower back. I am trying to be patient, but it's hard.

I've had a lot of time to sit here, wishing I could paint. I'm about ready to do it anyway.

Here's some things I have been thinking about:

Have you seen this?:

For a couple of years I have used plain white gesso for the ground in a lot of my paintings, esp. faces, as you can use watercolor, either pencils or tube watercolors on it pretty well. Anyway, I'm going to get some of this and try it.

My favorite surface to paint on is gessoed masonite. Delightful. No rough holey canvas to worry about, just smooth, buttery, gesso. I love it.

Reading Salley Mavor's blog reminded me that I have wanted to incorporate my love of all things stitchy into my work somehow. So when my head clears from drugginess, I've been thinking how to do that. The most frustrating thing about being an artist is trying new things that don't work. Hours spent making ugly art. But you have to pay the piper. From all that work and frustration comes something original and worth it.

Some thoughts on listing on etsy or ebay or whatever:

Try hard to take a picture of your painting on a wall. Either use a gallery wrapped canvas or frame it. It's worth the trouble. Try to place something in your photo that gives an idea of the size of an item. Making a cool still life out of your painting and other things is also good, it makes the buyer see how they could hang your painting in their house. Be sure and state the size and any other pertinent info. Even your motivation and thoughts while painting the piece are interesting to buyers.

Gotta go, hope this helps!

Salley Mavor!

I have been a big Salley Mavor fan for years, but I had no idea she had a blog or that she has a new book out until I read about it on this delightful blog. You can buy the book on Amazon. Mine is on it's way, I can't wait!

In Which My Dog Ate Half a Pound of Bacon

Zoe is not feeling so good. The above picture shows how she feels, I think. I was making one of the best clam chowders of my life, and somehow, (Asher?) she got the remainder down off the counter and ate it, except for 3 pieces she hid in the couch (!!!) She is a piglet, but I imagine she will live. Her tummy was tight as a drum last night.

Asher was here for the weekend and we had fun, although he figured out how to unlock the back door and go out. Scary. He kept saying, "Maw, whatcha doin?" I've been trying valiantly to get him to call me grandma. He does sometimes, but mostly it's Maw. Also, Dave was working on the house and every time he would come in or out, Asher would say, "Hi Papa!" even if it was 2 minutes ago, the last time. And every time, just as excited. At least one million times.

Charlotte Lyons Josie's Garden Embroidery Sampler

I've been working on this sampler for the last couple of days while I am staying in Portland. I really should wait until I press it to show, but I might never get around to it. You can buy your own sampler here or here is her blog.

Today's Lunch in Portland

I walked 11 blocks in the rain to get another Menagerie Snack Plate at Savory et Sweet at the Lloyd Farmers Market. It was delicious as usual.

ben gay and rivers and roads

I love this song., especially"I miss your face like hell"

On a side note, I think Ben Gay was invented just to make you forget your back pain because of the burning and the stink. Ugh.

Lyrics to Rivers and Roads :

a year from now we'll all be gone
all our friends will move away
and they're going to better places
but our friends will be gone away

nothing is as it has been
and i miss your face like hell
and i guess it's just as well
but i miss your face like hell

been talking bout the way things change
and my family lives in a different state
and if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate
so if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate

rivers and roads
rivers and roads
rivers 'til i reach you

They Draw and They Cook- Illustrated Recipes!

I saw this on an etsy blog, what a cute idea! It seems my blog is becoming a place to point to other artists and not me. :)
Here's a link, you can subscribe to get the illustrated recipes on an rss feed.

More Demolition Pictures

I wish I had done a hundred paintings recently and could show you the best ten, but I've done one that is a surprise for a patron's niece so I can't even show you that.
But there is some major destruction going on in our house. I'm posting these so I can remember where we were about now, someday when it's done and all clean.
If you want to see what the house looked like before go here.



This is where the new closet and laundry room will be.
Our bedroom, where we've run into a bit of a problem. Apparently the upstairs is an addition and when they added the dormer, they left the old peak on the roof and tied it into the ceiling joists where we want to raise the ceiling. There are consultations going on.
Old bathroom plumbing, where the chimney that has been the bane of our existence was. It's one third of the way gone, thanks to our son.
My studio, where we also wanted to raise the ceiling but won't be able to.
Bathroom. This house was built in 1905 and we recently discovered that it was originally a one bedroom with no bathroom, and an upstairs sleeping porch. The sleeping porch (my studio) was enclosed and a grander staircase, bedroom and bath added second floor in 1917. Our walls aren't talking, but the ceilings are.

If you like art, you will like this blog, I think

http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog

Check out http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog

She posts work of artists she is jealous of. Above is the work of Andrea Kowch. Brilliant. Since I am jealous of almost any other artist, I can relate...I'm on page 11 of her posts and there is something amazing that I have never seen the likes of on every page.

I finally, finally got a thorny commission done today.... Whew, now maybe that is not hanging over my head, I can actually paint something I want to paint.

I need to post some more photos of our upper floor demo.

Everything seems so frivolous, considering what is happening in Japan. So very, very sad.

Wherein We Embark on a Daunting Project

This is the TV room before.
This is our window in the kitchen that will be replaced so we can have cabinets on that side. I will miss that window, but to have counter space and storage! An 8 year dream.
The TV room now
Yikes! Note cute old wallpaper. (house is 106 years old, and there are layers of old wallpaper) I forgot to take a picture of the plumbing, which is the reason we had to start this remodel now. It's really old, like a lead waste pipe and it's leaking. Scary.

We have moved into the basement so the upstairs can be demoed too. Eventually, we will have new bathroom upstairs, bigger closet with washer and dryer, all new drywall and higher ceilings (hopefully) new windows and a built in bed for the grandsons and other guests. Also hopefully, the wind will not be able to howl through the rooms. Apparently, daylight can be seen through walls all over the place up there.

The TV room will become our office and we will have new kitchen and full bathroom on the main floor. I'm excited! I will post progress photos.

Last night

I dreamed that I had three black and white kittens that I kept losing. Having an alive thing that I keep losing or neglecting has been a recurring thing in my dreams ever since I became a mother. It usually means that I feel like I am failing. Argh. The painting is by Sarah Kiser.

Take Me To The Woods

I got another piece of artwork from one of my favorite artists, Victoria Whincup. I have a beloved framed stuffie, Shaun, and when she showed some new drawings the other day, there was another that looked like Shaun and I contacted her for a print, but she would sell me nothing less than the original. I love her work, it's so gentle and peaceful and I'm always wishing someone would "take me to the woods"

I've included pictures of the new piece, framed, and the other Shaun that was a gift for our anniversary a couple years ago.

I Like This, and It's TRUE

Click here to go to Lizzy Stewart's Blog. Here's a link to her etsy shop, where you can buy the print.