Studio Fuller

40!

2012-02-18T09:19:00.002-05:00

my grandfather's alarm clock...kids got to it, hands not attached anymore, like time stopped

Well, I just can't believe how good 40 feels.....well, actually it's no coincidence, my gluten free diet has settled like a warm blanket into my body. I am healthier than I have been in years. All of my pain is gone (except the ankle and that's just going to take time and has nothing to do with my disease and everything to do with, well, turning 40). I am so blessed to be able to feel better simply by the foods I eat and the foods that I don't eat. It only bothers me a little that I didn't have a birthday cake yet but my mother is going to make me a GF pound cake tomorrow.

Speaking of gluten free flours, I went into a little natural merchantile last week for the first time. It's 3 miles down the road, I have lived out here in the Western part of the county for nine years and have never gone in. And as I walked into this store, which smelled just like a health food store in a 100 year old building and reminded me of Whole Oats in Boulder. Amazing how smell can bring back memories....there is still a Suave mousse that if I smell it, it reminds me of being stood up on New Year's Eve when I was 16. Anyway, I was pointed to a golden bag of GF flour, Authentic Foods Multi Blend Flour as one of the best by the store's sweet and kind owner. So, right now, I am cooking up a loaf of banana bread and it smells wonderful......more later.

Vday Wrap Up

2012-02-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

A favorite road of mine (I drive this to the gym and run it in the summer)

Oh, snowy tree lined road.....only saw a few of these this winter, how disappointing. But it has me thinking about warm....more on that later.....a little trip for my 40th is coming up. We are going to a place that I have only seen the airport of....on a layover. I'm taking my new lens with, great pictures to come.

This year I was the proud momma of three kids WHO MADE THEIR OWN VALENTINES. Yes, yes, I know, I can hardly contain myself. Here are a few pics of them:

With only a little writing and gluing help from me......can you tell? Design blogs eat your heart out! I prefer to work with projects with kids that require as little adult handling as possible AND that have only 1 or 2 steps and no inter fusing webbing, hot glue gunning, metal bending and such. I know you are thinking, she is the next Martha, I know, I know......

Box of Treasures

2012-02-13T10:45:00.001-05:00

My grandfather's postcard to my grandmother three days before their wedding

My grandfather's lists (apparently he made many) and he was a SPE

Grandmother's commencement

before email

I recently inheireted a box of wonderful letters and keepsakes from my grandmother and grandfather. The postcard in the first photo was sent to my grandmother days before their wedding. My mother says that her father was a very to the point person.

My mother passed these delicate papers and cards on to me to take care of them. And I will...I may be putting together a "scrap" book of sorts.....

I'm also going to immortalize some of these pieces in my artwork. (Thank goodness for scanning as I won't use these originals)....now what I want to do is find OTHER people's boxes o' stuff (circa 1900-1960) and use those originals. A friend of mine goes to auctions all over the county here in Virginia. The estate sales often have plenty of personal papers and such. Could be fun!

40th birthday this Thursday....bought myself a new lens for my camera (since I fell down the stairs and ruined the lens)...I'd been meaning too and what BETTER reason than the big 4 0.....now back to work.

The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits

2012-02-10T19:57:00.002-05:00

notice the arms.....then look above at the legs......a happy accident

As I Walked Out One Evening
W.H Auden

As I walked out one evening
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat

And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
'Love has no ending.

I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street

I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.

'The years shall run like rabbits
For in my arms I hold
The flower of the Ages
And the first love of the world

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime
'O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

'In th burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss

'In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.

'Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
And the diver's brilliant bow.

'O plunge your hands in water
Plunge them up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed.

The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea-cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.

'Where beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,
And Jill goes down on her back.

'O look, look in the mirror,
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

'O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart.'

It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming,
And the deep river ran on.

Now that's a love poem.
I know the art above has licensed scrapbook paper in it and so I'm not planning on reproducing them.
That said, I am still working on the book that you saw in the Night Studio post. It's taking longer than I thought. But I've realized lately that perfectionism can be a good thing. If I am going to put something out there, it's going to be my best work.

Mother Daughter Convo

2012-02-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

she's reaching-work in progress

Conversation with a four year old daughter.....

"Here Mommy, read this!" (It's a rogue Halloween book found on her shelf, okay actually the Halloween books are always on the shelves and well, okay the Christmas ones too...which as you can imagine keeps my kids constantly confused.)

On the front cover of the book there is a bat hanging upside down but try as you might you can NOT explain to a four year old girl that bats hang upside down.....oh, no, you must continue to read said book upside down even though you have pointed out many times that the words are upside down and realize that this basically means nothing to an illiterate four year old.

"But LOOK!", you exclaim, "The wolf is upside down and look the skeleton too!" No, no, no......
emphatically, they are not.

And this is my evening.

Little Church Tucked Away

2012-02-05T17:39:00.001-05:00

Always meant to stop by this little one room church about 3 miles from my house....scooped up the camera today and finally stopped by.....Ketoctin Church 1854. This is why I love living in Virginia....

Valentines

2012-02-03T12:40:00.003-05:00

Finally, a child who wants to make his own valentines....be still my heart. Today, I am working on Brain, Child and it's coming along nicely, there's corn chowder in the crock pot and the sun is out. I'll take it!

Lady In Red

2012-02-01T20:57:00.002-05:00

Today was about 65 degrees in January, in Virginia, wow. I felt like I was cheating on winter enjoying the warmth so much. How is it that we can get a summer like day in the middle of winter but don't have a winter like day in the middle of summer?

Speaking of Which

2012-01-26T13:23:00.001-05:00

the bookshelf with real books, you can't cut pages out of a Nook, you can't

box-o-goodies

lucky you, i went all 70's on these photos but it's a rainy day and it fits perfectly (those are GF cookies-not too shabby)

1. I am trying to go through ALL of the letter tests, this week it's MRI and EMG. If anyone has others to suggest, let me know because surely I have not had enough in the past two years...OMG.

2. I have been reading through almost all of my blog posts from the last five years. Wow.

3. I am writing in list form because.....it's easy.

4. I am sitting in my hallway with my laptop on my lap not able to move because I put the 4 and 6 year old to bed for "rests" at 12pm and have been guarding the hallway ever since. Yeah, it's just like glory days of nap time gone by. Except for they aren't napping.

5. Recently, my Kindergarten kid does not want to go to Kindergarten (alas the "rest" he is taking today). Who doesn't WANT to go to Kindergarten? I'm not sure what to do about this because after much interrogation all I can get out of him as to why he doesn't want to go is........wait for it.......he doesn't want to. (argh).

6. I want to look forward to something and I want it to happen, like, tomorrow.

7. Today my littlest one (4) was outside (while waiting for her brother's Kindergarten bus that he did not get on) in her pajamas, no shoes and eating a popsicle (it's like 40 degrees out and drizzling)- mom of the year! I know, how does she do it you're asking.

8. Speaking of which, I saw the movie I Don't Know How She Does It and I still don't know. This is purely one of those cases where the book has got to be better than the movie. And in a complete flip, the movie The Help was so wonderful and so much better than the book. I don't think I have ever claimed such a thing. It's probably because when I read books, I hear the words and dialogue in my head in my own voice and let me tell you that I do not do a good Southern accent, so thank goodness for amazing actors.

9. Speaking of which, if my life were narrated by someone I wonder who it would be......hmmm....I would cast Tina Fey.

10. And speaking of Tina Fey, I am going to upload her book to my Nook, yes, I know, I know, I went digital. It was a present. I never thought I'd see the day. But Brain,Child went digital too and I have heard that my cartoons have their own page so, well, I want to see them.....but I still love the pages shifting through my fingers and the gloss of a good magazine. And speaking of which.......you'll see soon.

Blue Leaves

2012-01-24T12:42:00.001-05:00

I found this photo in a 1952 National Geographic.....no caption really, just blue leaves up in Cape Cod.

The List

2012-01-21T18:43:00.001-05:00

Life is a pure flame,
and we live by an invisible sun within us.
~Sir Thomas Brown

I ate lunch today by myself.....in a fancy restaurant. Yep. I did. Now, many of you may have already checked this off your list of bold things to do long ago but not me. Now don't get me wrong, I've wolfed down a sandwich or two in a Panera on my lonesome. But I have never had a waiter ALL to myself and it was grand. Like they were waiting on me! Wait a minute......anyway. The food was delicious and I didn't even act like someone was coming to join me or fiddle through my purse for my sketchbook or send texts to my sister (which by the way would have gone something like this.....i am n a restrant by myself! smiley face and she replies what u r n a restraint? You can take it from there.).

The thing is I was (I guess past tense is the correct tense here) so self conscious for like, forever. I never would eat by myself surrounded my conversing couples and family orbits, what would they think of me? Gasp. I can sum up my "sc" by this little story my mom once told me years after the incident, apparently I wouldn't get up to throw my trash away at Kings Dominion (an amusement park) because I told her, "What if people look at me?" (and I quote). As if there is NOT enough to see at an amusement park that people are going to strain their necks to watch a 13 year old stride to the bee infested trash can to discard her lunch and make bets on if she trips or falls or doesn't quite make the launch into the can forcing the embarrassing re-delivery into the can. It's exciting stuff.

In years since, I got well past that low but I've always had some little fringe of it in me. Next I want to go the movies by myself IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY....I know, I lead a crazy life. What's on your list?

Stop This Train

2012-01-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes there is a song that sums things up so well, you feel overwhelmed. I heard this years ago one night, I could listen to it over and over again. I'm turning forty in a few weeks and it's not the number, or the wrinkles that bother me the most (although, it weird to not be an "important" demographic according to popular society anymore), it's that my parents are getting older, my aunts and uncles, all of the generation before me.

It is so not about me.

My husband has been trying to figure out what to do for this pinnacle of a birthday. Usually, I want to get out, kidless, enjoy the evening but I think this year I want the young ones around, my whole family, all of them. And we'll ride the train together and enjoy every minute of it.

I've been trying to sum up my artwork and it it's about that feeling, of being home, of being a kid again, that feeling of comfort, family, the little things.....because I can't "go back again" I do it through my art. I even use some of my favorite books, my trusty Girl Scout manual for one.

Art puts me back in touch, back to 19 Carousel Court (yes, that was my first address). I move things around and draw until it becomes apparent, ah, yes, there it is. By making my art, it seems to make me more permanent, like marking my territory somehow, like telling a story left behind for younger ones to enjoy. (I love that kids like my artwork as much as adults.)

This is a good thing, a necessary need, I need to find that place everyday, that place where I feel home.

I chase it in my artwork all of the time.

One in a Million

2012-01-14T15:50:00.002-05:00

just for fun....book almost done, 4 more pages.......this one in a million idea is totally Emily at Stamping Bella's idea. I promise, I am drawing more now that I can feel my hands again!!

Sketchbook Look

2012-01-12T19:50:00.001-05:00

I am guilty of not putting color in my sketchbooks. I don't like how the paper curls or crumples. But I have decided I don't care about that anymore, everything seems to be crinkling round' these parts. So here's to color in the sketchbook.

Apocalyptic Pants

2012-01-11T18:30:00.001-05:00

little miss getting her z's

Often, after a long day peddling my enthusiasm (which is quite disproportional at times) for art to classrooms full of decibel challenged pre-teens, I find myself at home pulling on the most comfortable clothes possible and then collapsing on the couch (well, maybe just for a minute or two). Tonight, I have on a baby soft pair of lounge pants. They were a prized gift this Christmas, fashioned from the softest fleece and dotted with Kermits and Miss Piggys....they are also bright honkin' pink. My mind wanders (it's been reigned in all day), to thinking about shows like Walking Dead (don't click that link if you don't like scary things that bump in the night) or Lost where the characters are found episode after episode in the clothes they just happened to be wearing at the moment of mayhem (plane crash, zombie daughter waking you in your pajamas-run! run!, You know-that sort of thing). And I think as I look down at my attire "Would I be caught dead battling zombies in this?"

(You can use that if you want....when you get dressed at any time of day, just ask yourself that important question above. You're welcome, I do what I can.)

On a different note, we have been, well, make that, I have been desperate to get rid of our Ikea foam mattress (it seemed like a good idea at the time). The mattress and I have been boxing every night for the past few years. I don't always remember the scuffle but I wake up feeling pummeled all over so I know it happens. I don't know what I was thinking, the less is more Scandinavian thing I think is wonderful and I do have many Ikea "pieces" that I love, love, love (like my drawing table)....but not when it comes to a mattress. I am the momma bear of the "too soft" kind. I want to literally sink into my mattress, to be swallowed up, undetectable to children coming in to ask me for juice. "Is Mom in there?", they will ask and turn back bewildered to the kitchen.
So I walked into a mattress store last Sunday and bought the cushiest one possible, no kidding. Tonight will be the test, I will not be ducking, weaving or bobbing....just nodding.... off......in my Kermit pants.

Nighttime Studio

2012-01-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

working in a simple illustration style

my "on the side art"-while working on the book, I'm filling up these gumball machines

anyone read The Ghost of Windy Hill? I happened upon this book the other day in my favorite discard pile

does this say it or what? (by the way-this is the best smelling lotion of all time).

Just a few nighttime glow of the studio pictures.....I've been so spinning head busy as of lately....read the bottle, Beth- RELAX AND THINK CLEARLY....ahhhhhh......

On the Radio

2012-01-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

Think I'll probably change the bottom fabric on this one? This has been on my to do list for months-ahhhh, happy. I'm working on a children's book right now. I always like to have "art on the side" while I'm working on a project. It's distracting and helps me get my mind off something that isn't working right or poking at my perfectionism. I could really get rid of that attribute. Note to self-new year's resolution- make more mistakes...

Something Fun

2012-01-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you give kids stickers.....

what a wonderful installation by Yayoi Kusama

art is really stressing me out right now and it shouldn't and so here's this.

Lick the Lollipop

2011-12-31T07:45:00.000-05:00

I snapped this picture when we were in New York a few days ago. We trekked the kids into the city from Long Island where we were visiting Bobby's family. It was stormy sea of people busy. So many people were simply gawking at the head sized lollipops the boys were licking that I thought maybe Ryan Gosling was standing behind our table, all of the smiling, giggling and staring. We were the most colorful things in the city (next to Times Square of course).

waiting for the train

it was soooo cold-flags were whipping


sensing a lollipop theme here?

St. Patrick's (weird angle-it was so cold that I had trouble taking pictures, we were also walking too fast).

This year, I resolve that I am going to take the time to stop and lick the lollipop.

Ten Things

2011-12-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

Boy, I wish I had more time these days. I'll tell you, working every other day is a blessing and also makes balancing things really tough. The days, I teach, I teach and the days I don't I simply play catch up in the house and cart kids around, run errands and such. When I wasn't teaching before (see blog posts in 2009 and earlier), my days stretched out like endless open blocks of time, although broken up by feeding the baby, breaking up fights between the boys (2.5 and 5) and daydreaming about when all three were in school. Here are some thoughts, things I've been up to and well basically JUST a list of things because I don't have one second (there goes someone wrestling in the living room) of time during this crazy of year.

1. My Christmas stamps being used as stickers every year (never fails).

2. Something that will NOT be under our tree this year-some kind of playdough dog that poops-like I need more of that in my house.

3. I wonder why my kids believe in Santa but surprising won't make the leap to believe in the he's watching you all the time part and so I can't use that ultimate threat of coal in the stocking, argh.

4. Ugh, Christmas shopping. Yep, I don't actually like shopping, I mean, the actual physical-ness of it, browsing, standing in line etc. I love the results though.

5. I made one of those Facebook status clouds and the most common (so therefore prominently displayed) words were YEP, DUH, BOBBY and DIE. I quickly closed out the window.

6. As a gluten free gal this holiday (and every after) season, I see holiday cookies as a big fat waste of time-so everyone else suffers (me=grinch)...actually, I just haven't gotten very good at the GF baking-cooking, yes, that's easy...it's making things rise and have some goo that's tricky.

7. Even if my house falls apart, I am going to get the illustration project I have been working on done by time to return to work. So far, today, that has meant that my vacuum cleaner has been dumped out onto the floor, I don't know if the kids ate lunch (okay, they did), there's a smathering of peanut butter on the golden retriever's tail, I'm basically still wearing my pajamas.......

8. I got to "adopt" a five year old little girl this holiday and buy her art supplies.....Merry Christmas to me, twist my arm!

9. I survived the last day before break in a middle school classroom full of hyperactive 12 year olds, barely.

10. My gym thought that I had died, not having been there sooooo long and well, I guess they must have seen my FB cloud.

P.S-hands feel great, great, great-people who I owe artwork to, it's coming again. Next year will be great. Also, yay, KYMIA, I simply love, love, love her work. She won Work of Art last night and I think I am going to go up to the Brooklyn museum to see it-road trip!!

Kymia's gorgeous "boat", drawing, painting, mixed media in the middle.

Killer Clowns

2011-12-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

thinking of Christmas trees at the farm, oh and Killer Clowns from Outer Space

So, I just tucked my son in for the third time. He is afraid of Killer Clowns From Outer Space which he and his brother and friends inadvertently watched on the Netflix for Wii. I am now wikipediaing it. Rotten tomatoing it. I am realizing that it is going to take a lot of spinning to get this one out of rotation in this poor boy's head. I even asked my sixth graders who claimed to have seen it-how scary we talking here, Nighmare on Elm Street or just that one part in Ghostbusters? They agreed, I've got my work cut out for me. See, these are the things, the things that you don't know about before kids. And these are definitely not deal breakers just food for thought. I have spent the past few nights now being skiddish that there is a cute little scared not going to bed six year old just sitting on the steps being VERY quiet and scaring the beejeezus out of me when I round the corner. Thanks a lot Killer Clowns.

This is a very Christmas posting.

Dip

2011-12-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

The Civil Wars

2011-12-06T09:42:00.001-05:00

This is music painting....layers and layers. Listen to it through head phones (is that what the kids are calling them these days)-earbuds, whatever. You'll hear the tiniest details, like a .005 liner pen, layered with ethereal blues, silvers beneath. Oh, I love these two. Enjoy.

Score!

2011-12-04T19:27:00.001-05:00

Scored a goal today on my outdoor co-ed soccer team and MAN, it felt good. There are only three women on the field on each team at all times, we only had two, basically the women don't score all too much (with 8 men and only 3 women). And this shot was a hard left footer, smack into the back of the net from the top of the 18. The only better feeling is running by your husband (who is all smiles) on the soccer field as you are torch pumping your fist in the air. OH YEAH!!

Things I Have Been Enjoying

2011-11-29T22:50:00.001-05:00

I am so happy with this, can I say that? Yes, I can.

In lieu of gooey bread, butter, pizza, pie, cake, cheese, hands that work correctly and more, I am finding solace in some simple things (as best as I damn well can).

1. candles that smell like winter spruce

2. a good red wine

3. my Pentel slicci pen .25 (where have you been all of my tiny little lines life?)

4.fixing all of the toliet paper roll holders in my house

5. finally getting a sink that will hold a pot

6. being able to return the sink since I absentmindedly bought the wrong size (it's the Celiac), thanks Home Depot easy return policy.

7. Being able to order correct size online-whew.

8. Old books friends are sending me to turn into art-I'm loving the interaction between me and you.

9. Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin pie coffee (pre-ground-blasphemy!)

10. Advil (the artwork above should be sponsored by ibuprofen).

Sooooo.....the pain in my hands, arms, fingers, neck......it's Celiac. And I know it for sure. And, and, and......I am getting relief, albeit slowly and I'm thrilled. Yes, really. It took my hands and fingers feeling like they were about to fall off but I am back to my original (and correct) diagnosis. What a journey (not). My husband says to me that he is amazed with what I have put up with these past two years but that I didn't stop the madness until my drawing and hands were put in jeopardy. You'd think......you'd think......alas, I am feeling good today.

Ouch

2011-11-25T16:25:00.001-05:00

Woke this morning, hands can barely close, fingers like brittle twigs. Spirits in the dumps (did have a great Thanksgiving though). Can not figure out why my arms and hands are hurting so bad. So NOW, out goes the dairy. So I've been vigorously gluten free for one month now, turning down Wegman's pizza, my mom's homemade rolls and even Fat Tire beer (my favorite), yes, it's true. First picture, I decide not to let this stop me from putting together some pieces and completely cover my clean studio floor. (My husband made me clean it a couple of weekends ago, oh, no, really it was a good thing. And it made room for my new red chair, which I love, love, love. The chair already stood the test of kids...apparently when I was on my weekend away, my daughter and friend made a CAKE out of it, frosting it with water glue. Are you seeing some kind of trend here? Husband left at home with daughter and her friend, studio mayhem. Yeah, me too.)

Death By Carrot

2011-11-21T12:14:00.001-05:00

I have just sat down to watch a marathon of back logged Work Of Art. Man, I love that show. I just have such respect for those artists being able to work under such pressure and their ability to make things out of thin air, like say, a light box with gold enlay with overlapping super detailed drawing so that the light shines through making the drawing ethereal and and hot and cold flapping doors....the show requires so much more know how than just being able to draw. Kymia is my favorite. Her drawing skills are spot on. She recently won a challenge and had her amazing drawing auctioned off for charity. I so would love to be able to bid on it at Sotheby's....as soon as I find an image of it, I'll try to post it but let's just say it had to do with a girl eating a house, a dog and finally dying by carrot...ahhhhh, it would be perfect in my dining room (chuckle).

Above is oldie but goodie......I used to draw without thinking so much. This one done in ink and coffee. So I am going to start working on some larger drawings like these with more complexity (not just one object) and yes, some hot and cold folding doors.

Simply Me

2011-11-17T07:16:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, it wasn't the lack of family responsibilities, the sleeping in, the all day coffee and wine, the ambling, uninterrupted reading and drawing, the free range peacocks or the four poster bed, it was a back to me. Driving down into the Shenandoah valley, I felt a layer peel off. I just simply felt like me. Not Mom Beth, Wife Beth, Teacher Beth, Artist Beth or any of those Beths, it was just pure me, freshly squeezed Beth (okay that just sounds weird).

I came back really happy, okay, well, content. And content is good.

Mirror, Mirror

2011-11-15T14:18:00.001-05:00

Normally if I take pictures with camera in hand and also into a mirror (which is maybe twice in my life ever)-I have to laugh at the narcissism involved..... but this picture (regardless of the taker and the subject) is pretty darn cool if I do say so myself. What a wonderful weekend...more on that later.

This Is Where I Am

2011-11-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

Fairview circa 1867 in Amherst, Virginia.

Tucker can't figure out where I am (outside looking in).

love the reflection

Eggs from Heather's chicken

breakfast (and eggs)

front porch

view from back porch

I am reading, drawing, eating, relaxing with friends. Ah. Needed.

Friends

2011-11-05T11:25:00.000-04:00

But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold.~Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Roseanne

2011-11-03T12:39:00.001-04:00

After graduating from college in 1994, I had a hard time figuring out what's next. Where most people would be thinking jobs I had no such thoughts of grandeur, well not a real job anyway. A studio art degree means basically you are qualified for practically every job. You can transform art even into patty flipping. I'm not a slacker, don't get me wrong. I have good credit and I almost always have. Unheard of for an artist right? Good credit, no debt, paying my bills, only taking a few handouts from my parents, actually lending my sister money while we were both in college. It's the oldest child syndrome to be so responsible.
So what did I do? Well, I began to watch episode after episode of Roseanne. And I loved it. I recently found out that Oxygen runs marathons of Roseanne during the day. So I sat down to doodle and watch a few (of course with kiddos playing somewhere in the house) and was pleasantly surprised to see how much her tv family resembles mine, well, no, not really, but a good chunk of it plays out in my three child household right now. And I am also pleased to say that I've got a little Roseanne in me too. I recently read Roseanne Barr's piece in the New York magazine.
And enjoyed it immensely.

I have been more busy than I ever have been-hence the pittance of posts. Challenging teaching, six days a week of sports practices and games.....whew. But here's some fun Halloween pictures and ghost hunt pictures to make up for my lack-o-funny.

House in Harpers Ferry

Walking down into Harpers Ferry

Most haunted house in town

Our guide telling us the spooky stories

Walking up up up

Bottles in my friend's Canal House Restaurant

See any ghosts?

All store bought-that's right, I said it.

Me on Halloween in vintage 1980's wedding dress (thanks Ebay). It's handmade, fully beaded and fully not intended for this purpose.

Eyeballs

2011-10-26T15:38:00.001-04:00

Before you have kids people might say things to you like:

Get ready to clear off those coffee tables, you won't be putting anything on there anytime soon.

Say goodbye to ever going to the bathroom by yourself again. Oh and showers too.

Get plenty of sleep, you're gonna need it.

But no one, I repeat, no one has probably ever said for you to get ready to see sticky Halloween eyeballs above your front entrance every damn day because your kid threw them up there and now they are permanently stuck and too high to reach even with a ladder. Oh and if you dare try to poke at them with the end of a broom they will leave behind a trail of slime on your builder grade flat white paint not unlike a slug's.

Now let's look at some beautiful pumpkins and such from our field trip to the farm-it's the eyeball-less side of October:


cinderella pumpkin

pickin' an apple


surprisingly my kids did not want to take this one home (?)


did you know there are over 7000 different types of apples (see I was listening to the farmer)

conversation


snout

quack

Tuesday

2011-10-25T18:45:00.002-04:00

Madam of the house

tree "orbs" with hammock-very rough

Drawn while watching American Horror Story-there is a ghost who looks a bit like the woman above-ignore the fabric, it's for placement only.....got so much to do tonight. Better get cracking.

10 on a Thursday

2011-10-20T12:41:00.002-04:00

In the vein of Elizabeth's10 on a Tuesday

1. A Coast Guard helicopter landed in the soccer field at our school right behind my house this morning.

2. It was an assembly.

3. I need to read the school newsletters more closely.

4. I went gluten free again but yet ate a piece of cake yesterday at work, please someone tell me how to tap into that thing called willpower.

5. I am reading Tana French's In The Woods right now and have been completely ignoring my kids (future therapy bills). But however, I think it will be worth the neglect since I haven't read a book this great in forever. AND bonus, there are more in the series.....

5. American Horror Story is the craziest show on television. You had me at Hell-o. (I can see more therapy bills in my future). It's not for everyone, even though the writers are the ones from Glee (wow, they are not in Ohio with this one).

6. We have a skeleton hanging on our front door. Our town is very windy making Mr. Bones scrape across the metal of the door constantly. What's that? my three year old asks when she hears the ominous scratching sound, oh that's just the skeleton on the front door, is my reply and it's perfectly acceptable.

7. Has anyone ever noticed how ugly Jay Leno's set is?....wood paneling? Steve Martin was on last night-normally I am a Letterman gal.

8. I have a crush on Steve Martin. (I mean who doesn't?)

9. I am supposed to be drawing right now but I am all revved up by the helicopter landing.

10. Did I mention that a helicopter landed practically in my backyard this morning?

Thrice

2011-10-14T13:12:00.002-04:00

I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. ~Mae West

To Follow (or not, that is the question)

2011-10-12T10:05:00.001-04:00

The Fuller Family pumpkin

I don't do directions. (you can use that if you want). And before kids this was not such a problem, aside from an Ikea bookcase that ended up more like a coffee table or actually ANY recipe that I thought perhaps didn't need baking soda. I managed well enough without the 1, 2, 3. Don't get me wrong, I have been known to read trail maps but didn't necessarily follow them when I lived in Colorado (I'm not that irresponsible). AND, I always left a note on my car that gave a round-about area that my mountain lion savaged body could be found in. (I am all about saving the taxpayer that one more day of helicopter searching.) But now, I am confronted with homework and projects, all of which require the reading and more importantly the following of directions.
Yesterday we, the whole family, set about decorating a pumpkin for my son's Kindergarten October Family Project. The directions were to decorate the pumpkin (in my mind-a real pumpkin) using objects found in the house, cereal, string, yarn, cotton balls.....in my Amelia Bedelia mode, I thought...hmmm....how to glue cotton balls onto a three dimensional waxy orange surface? So out came the hot glue gun, wire, and my BAG-O-STUFF (cue husband's weird look) which has the remnants of last year's Recycle Bot Project (a whole other story). And like a creative pack of wolves, we descended on the pumpkin. Voila-see above.

Today, I look further down the instructions-OH, there is a page two.....

It's a pumpkin to PRINT out and decorate. OOPS, gasp, what to do (and when have I EVER chosen 3D over 2D?)....so we take a picture of our creation (see way above) and GLUE that onto the print out. Done.
Now, I'm wondering if we let his teacher think that we are just over achievers when it comes to the monthly family project OR do we tell her that mom can't read, no, can't follow directions? I'd better get better at this or else my son's teacher may just have a full grown evergreen tree decorated in cotton balls in her classroom come December.

P.S-I love, love, love, Amelia Bedelia.

Wisdom (teeth)

2011-10-07T15:54:00.002-04:00

just a little diddy

I had one of my two wisdom teeth pulled out today. Many people would just shrug that off as mundane every day material since practically every person on the face of the earth who goes to the dentist regularly (or intermittently) has had their wisdom teeth out. But, no, with me, it's like no one has ever done it before me, it's groundbreaking, it's worthy of my very own Nintendo DS (see tonsilectomy with 7 year old son). Even as I write this, there are gobs of blood (not alarmly though) trailing down the back of my throat, an oyster slide of blood meal if you will (this may be the last time you ever read my blog, I know). It's tough people! It's a hard, hard rain that's gonna fall!

My son (5) fell down today, playmate on top, sandwiching him between the soccer ball and the boy. Crying, he came up to me and I said, "Oh yeah, kid, you got it bad? Look at this." And I appropriately spit out a wad of blood. That, my friends, is instant Kindergarten street cred and just the type of thing I'll do to get a little sympathy.
"Milk it for what it's worth," said my husband. Little does he know, little does he know......
(happy weekend).

Think Too Much!

2011-10-05T14:37:00.002-04:00

Sky is finally blue. Joints have finally stopped aching. Still, I'm in a grumpy mood. I'll come back later when I can be more agreeable. But first, you know when you just google a simple idea, like, say, I want a spooky book to read at this time of year so I search for that and then that search leads to another and next thing you know you are not where you thought you'd be (a.k.a some really creepy movie/book website).....the internet is a dangerous place for impressionable minds like mine. I'm such a glutton for punishment because now I can't stop thinking about how messed up people are and while I live in Brigadoon, those lunatics are out there......real, imagined, in books and movies. I thought about telling my husband last night but couldn't figure out how to phrase my words. "You see, I was looking for good scary reads on GoodReads and then that led to this creepy movie site and then linked to reading about real husband and wife serial killers (what I didn't need to know) and now my inquiring mind wants to know where is Barbie of the Ken and Barbie Killers and how could she be free (because she is) after murdering her own sister with her husband and then.........." on and on. He'd roll his eyes and say, "You think too much. AND you read too much!" Thus quantifying his theory that I do have my head in book way too often.....and wasn't it BOOKS that got you into this mess anyway, he'd say......hmmmm....maybe he does have a point. Okay, it's back to memoirs for me.

Good Taste in Storytelling

2011-10-01T11:55:00.000-04:00

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Don't Delay the Happy

2011-09-29T15:01:00.004-04:00

Love this 70's PS action from Pioneer Woman

I love the show The Big C. The actress, Laura Linney who plays Kathy on the show, used to completely rub me the wrong way in years past but she's now one of my favorite television heroines. There's one line in the show that so perfectly sums up life, "Don't delay the happy." So whatever, whoever it is that makes you happy, get a little more in your life, go on, I dare you.

Crayons Anew

2011-09-27T18:28:00.003-04:00


Diem Chau

Diem Chau-crayon sculpture


Peter Goldlust (name is wonderful eh?)-crayon carvings

The List

2011-09-19T13:36:00.000-04:00

Conversation last night with my husband (God Bless Him):

While watching the Emmy's.....

Both of us: "How old do you think she is? He is?".......

Him: During a commercial, "You like that Ryan Gosling don't you?"

Me: "Um, yes. But just because he was in Lars and the Real Girl, one of my all time favorite movies."

Him: "You know you can put him on your list (you all know the hypothetical "list" of allowable stars one can "date"). if you wanted to"

Me: "Um, yes, but I don't really have one."

Him: "What, why?"

Me: "Because I am old*. And I used to believe that there was a time when I actually could have dated one of the "guys" on my list and now, it just seems desparate, like, like, an old woman."

Him (with sarcasm): "Wow, you ARE old .".....(and delusional**)

Me: "Yep and cynical too."

Pause.

Him: "What are we going to do for your 40th, it's in exactly 5 months. " (audible gasp).

Me: "I don't care what you do but if you invite anybody to some kind of party.....there's got to be one big rule."

Him: "And what is that?" (he dares to ask)

Me: "No one is allowed to say 'OH THANK GOD I'VE STILL GOT A FEW YEARS UNTIL I'M 40' at my party."

(You know those people, it's kind of showing up to someone's hospital bed and saying out loud that you are sooooo glad you aren't the one dying of shingles).

Him: "Okay......sooooo, what you are saying is that I shouldn't invite anyone who isn't already 40."

Me: "BRILLIANT! YES!"

Him: "Even better, I'll invite a bunch of 80 year olds, that's bound to make you feel better."

Me;" YES! Yes! Perfect! Oh but wait, you're younger than me, you won't be 40 so you couldn't even come to my party......"

Him: "Precisely."

*this is a common complaint of mine, although, actually, I don't really think I am.

**actually, I am not completely delusional......friends will attest to my run ins with celebrities, it's weird I know but I swear it's true.....in 1994 I was volunteering with Rock the Vote at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and a very cute leather clad young man asked me to a party after the show (Nine Inch Nails by the way). I reasoned that he was most likely the very cute, Jared Leto.....but my girlfriend who was with me had never heard of him, rendering him simply just a cute boy in too tight pants without an over 21 bracelet (which was confusing because I actually knew that he was about 23, maybe he had left his ID at home, do celebrities do that?). So, I turned him down.
Later, my friend confirmed after watching an episode of My So Called Life (he was Jordan Catalano on that show) that I was right, it was indeed a bracelet-less Jared Leto that had propositioned me, and that, yes, I was crazy, but for other reasons. And after, all of that....I think that Jared just really wanted.......really wanted.....really wanted me........really wanted me......to buy him a beer.

Put the Big Ones In First

2011-09-15T15:45:00.000-04:00

I read something about putting the "big rocks" a.k.a your most important things, people, hopes first into your hypothetical jar of rocks. Then you can fill in with the little. But if you fill your jar up with all of the little things then there will be no room for the big. Nice metaphor. So here's my jar, for real.

Today, I took the wrong car keys to school stranding my husband at home with our three year old. You see, we only have one set of my mini- van keys because I drove off with my set on top of my husband's car a couple of years ago....are you sensing a theme here? Since the beginning of the school year I feel like I just played spin my head on the bat (you know the game where you put your head on a bat and run around in dizzy circles, drop the bat and go flying off into a lawn chair or something), yes, that is the perfect metaphor for me these days....now how to draw that.

The Green

2011-09-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

done by a skeptical sixth grader

Sometimes, I find the simplest pieces that a student has made that just make my heart pitter patter.

White Bag, Square Knot

2011-09-13T12:14:00.001-04:00

Feeling so much better today....the ebb and flow of things....got blood drawn though to check for Lyme which is abundant out this way-just like baby copperheads-fun! Fingers crossed that my prescription is just going to say "Do lots of yoga."

Reading my favorite author Lorrie Moore's Gate at the Stairs right now. I love that she can write a book about very little and still I can't put it down. I'm reading it veeeerrryyy slowly so that it will last. I'm a gobbling kind of person when it comes to good things.....

Tour Continues

2011-09-09T15:00:00.001-04:00

I swear I am not going to turn this blog into a medical one, really, I promise. But you may have noticed that I have been away a bit. For the past few months, off and on, I have felt like I have the flu but only without the flu. If you look this up on the internet (we all know this is a bad idea), you will find that you can just about have everything under the sun. Unfortunately, for me, it feels arthritic. And it runs in my family.....so I have been panicking a little, okay, a lot. So then I have to wonder if it's stress that's doing this, or my complete denial of my impossible Celiac disease (which now I am completely re-visiting, ugh-I had been diagnosed and un-diagnosed), or the weather? Nope, it's not the weather, this has been going on, off and on since January.

Sometimes, it's tough to draw, so, I haven't been drawing as much as I'd like. But I am trying! Soooo...I finally said mercy and got a doctor's appointment next week. I'm already going gluten free again. (Aching in joints and rheumatoid arthritis are common in Celiac). I'm planning on being back to good ole' Beth really soon.

Until then.....I have been wondering what life will be like when my kids' bring home harder homework. They already bring home word sorts that my husband and I throw our hands up in the air with. And I am the language arts lady. What to do when Physics homework comes home? I might as well throw ALL of my street cred that I've worked so hard for out the window right now.

I don't know how other moms do it. Or dads for that matter. And I don't think I like the new movie called "I Don't Know How She Does It"...just because of it's title. And I already know the formula:

1. Awesome apartment in city that doesn't match up to the jobs the owners have.
2. Add impossible friendships with impossibly annoyingly made up beautiful women who can throw witty passive aggressive one liners that rival the Real Housewives.
3. Sarah Jessica (the one who DOES it) will find out that she can't do it all and that that is just the way she wants it anyway-but we all know that this character really DOES more than any one of us on a good day-alas, making us feel good and crappy ALL at once. Let's just say, I will not be running to see this one....wow, do I sound crabby or what. Okay until I can be a little more agreeable here are some happy pictures....just play some musak in your head...


Pinkalicious cupcakes (we are big into Pinkalicious here)


Bluemont sky (with friends)

camping out in the country (not in the horse trailer, mind you)


dreamy thoughts of the beach (a view from the sound on Hatteras Island)


Historic Old Town (Sheperdstown, WV) with jewelry in the window


color!

From Me To You

2011-09-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

From Me To You....cinemagraphs

How have i not seen these before? (well, okay, I don't have time to know everything about the internet and art world-really, you say?)......a photographer (see below) and visual graphics artist create these gifs- animating only parts of the photograph, they are called Cinemagraphs. Their explanation from their site says it so much better than me:

Visual Graphics Artist Kevin Burg began experimenting with the .gif format in this style in 2009 but it wasn't until he partnered with photographer Jamie Beck to cover NYFW that Cinemagraphs were born. Marrying original content photography with the desire to communicate more to the viewer birthed the cinemagraph process. Starting in-camera, the artists take a traditional photograph and combine a living moment into the image through the isolated animation of multiple frames. To quote supermodel Coco Rocha "it's more than a photo but not quite a video".

Beck and Burg named the process "Cinemagraphs" for their cinematic quality while maintaining at its soul the principles of traditional photography. Launched virally through social media platforms Twitter and Tumblr, both the style of imagery and terminology has become a class of its own. The creative duo are looking forward to exploring future display technologies for gallery settings as well as pushing this new art form and communication process as the best way to capture a moment in time or create a true living portrait in our digital age while embracing our need to communicate visually and share instantly.

Do yourself a favor if you haven't seen these before and head over to From Me To You.

Heart on a String

2011-09-02T19:06:00.000-04:00

Most wonderful print from The Monstress (Libby Clarke) a friend from college.

This print arrived from a friend from college. She is sending out prints to reconnect, to send some love to friends and family. I asked timidly-could I be one? And voila not a week later this appeared at my door, curled up in wonder. I can't wait to get it framed.
At JMU, I loved her humor and her art. I wanted to have her confidence and laissez faire. And of course, as after spending hundreds of hours in a basement studio with tons of chemicals on the brain-we found that we were all some sort of crazy.

I really, really, miss printmaking. And I haven't been making much art lately. My kids (and other people's) and although I love them are sucking up all of my time. Creativity really takes a nose dive with my mini-me in high gear (she's yelling at me now)....time to go. I'm going to carve out some time here....too much crazy going on.

Black and White and Red All Over

2011-08-31T14:01:00.004-04:00

1940's vintage dress listed by TimelessVixenVillage

Wow, I have never seen a dress that I could possibly love more. This is the kind of dress that makes me wish I were a movie star, walking down the red carpet in the cool vintage dress-now that would be a color palette-the black and white on the red. If I had 500 bucks to throw down and a ball to attend this would be my frock. Alas, it will show up in some of my artwork, that's not too second place.....

A New Favorite Read

2011-08-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

Because my brain is completely fried by working for the past five days straight (yes, I realize how spoiled that sounds but everyone knows that working at home and working at school are both very different and very tiring things.) If you didn't know from spending a little time either with me or reading this blog, I teach sixth grade art part time. So a couple of days a week, I get my crazy on and mingle with gaggles of 11-12 year olds. I have to put my classroom together and attend meetings on grading and such for a full week and a half before school starts. So here's a new favorite of mine right now because my brain is on bypass:

oh comely

I ordered this absolute treat of a magazine one night not realizing that it was based in the U.K. Shipping was about as much as the magazine itself and so I had them send it to my dear friend who lives in London. Now she gets to enjoy them and then bring them over to me here in the States when she visits. Happy for everyone. She plunked this stack down on my lap at the 40th bday field party we went to last weekend that I am still recovering from, dancing until 2am....like we were 30 again (ha!). I of course, left them outside my tent (did I mention that this was a field party?) And now they are a little crumply but thankfully, still fun to read.

Hypno Coffee

2011-08-16T22:23:00.000-04:00


beginning of my chalk/pastel adventure


coming right along (what you don't see is the sweaty artist making this thank goodness)


had to move into the shade


ta da!

Yes, I was nervous about working with pastel, a little. But it was wonderful! Of course, I did absolutely NO blending or burnishing or any of the pastely (yes that is a word) things you are supposed to do with the medium but I did it MY way (sing that part please). Sheperdstown, West Virginia (the oldest town in WV) is an amazing little town (if not a bit hippy but I'll let them pass on that, I mean, I did live in Boulder for three years). It's full of houses I want to immediately move into, especially the one with the carousel horse in the window. We are talking houses dating back to the 1700's (European people, to you that's infancy I know but to us it's OLD), with wide creaky porches and vintage opera houses turned into restaurant/music venues, shops, art studios and more. And it is a college town, Sheperd University (many teachers go there-originally a teaching college-like my alma mater, JMU), has about 4000 students. Anyway, I'm going to have to visit again. The shop I did the sign for was Hypno Coffee who graciously provided me with the best iced coffees I have ever had-yeah, I am no dummy offering to draw for the local coffee shop.

Stamping Bella! (And Three Sisters)

2011-08-15T09:35:00.001-04:00

My new stamp over at Stamping Bella

Okay, big news. I am branching into the world of stamping! No, not the collecting kind. Art stamps! One night, I received this email via my Flickr account from Emily (love her) over at Stamping Bella- would I want to turn my art into rubber?? Wow, it was late, and I thought, what? Oh yeah, stamps! What a great idea, now everyone can be as obsessed as I am with drawing, hmmm....maybe that's not a good thing. Anyway, I spent many years carving out of linoleum in college and a little after-basically I was making stamps. Although, I didn't know it then. I kind of feel like this is coming home-does that make sense?

(Now because I have only had half of a cup of coffee and just literally got back from the beach last night at 10:30pm-this will be part one of two). But these Canadian (Stamping Bella is based out of Canada) gals are on TOP of things and are they going to zip on over here to visit and I want to WELCOME them! You will also see that Studio Fuller is changing into Three Sisters right now. I am one of three wonderful creative and supportive sisters and three sisters always pop up in my work (there's something about three that I love too, the dynamic).....I never really liked Studio Fuller or even meant for it to be around this long. I used Studio Fuller as kind of a joke as I didn't even have a studio when I started this blog and I was trying to make a comment on how serious "artistes" seem to be. You know, my art is about childhood, fun, old things, memories (old and new), fabric, books, all the things I love...which I have found others love it too (bonus!) Okay, overly peppy, post here. Anyway.......please pardon our dust as we change things around here......it's going to be marvelous.

Chalk It Up To Stress

2011-08-05T14:43:00.003-04:00

Well totally OMG.
I ventured over to the PBS channels last night and watched Stress, Portrait of a Killer. And folks, I can't believe it BUT I am stressed. No way.
Yes, you are thinking, lady, seriously, you have three young kids (whose idea was that anyway?), no less than six kids in your house at all times, a job teaching pre-teens, art deadlines and more.....but here's the deal, I always think well, how can I be stressed when there are starving, homeless people, people immersed in war and stars dying of drub abuse (nah)-obviously they are allowed to be more stressed than me.....what business do I have to be stressed? But then I stress about that......I think I used to call it worrying. Wow, what denial.

You want to know what I am stressed about right now? Drawing on a chalkboard. I know, I know, really? I've been asked to be part of a wonderful Chalk Festival in Shepardstown, West Virginia and I get the fun job of drawing inside the local coffee shop (I love me a good coffee shop). I am not a pastel/chalk person. I am trying to locate a chalkboard so I can practice. Really. I have a great idea for the art...and it will probably be better than I think it will be. I am just not comfortable being on display. Basically, I will be creating artwork while people watch me. I mean, when I was young, while in church, I figured out a way to actually stop myself from sneezing so as not to draw attention to myself. Don't get me wrong, I am not shy, oh, not at all, I'm just not usually the center of attention, nor do I want to be. I find it's better to blend and observe and speaking of blending, I think you do that with pastels.....oh, crap, I better go practice.

Plastic Eye

2011-08-01T10:51:00.001-04:00

All of these done with the wonderful photoshop action called Plastic Eye

The pictures are from our local county fair. That's a whole other post I am brewing up. Right now, I am totally procrastinating.....okay, it's not just that. I really should have planned more activities for my children this summer. I know, it totally goes against my unconstructive play time summer plans. So I am wrapping up Brain,Child work right now as well as some other fun TBA stuff before he head off to Salvo, NC this Sunday. Okay-enough chatting......but first, if you have Photoshop and you haven't learned about "actions" yet. I suggest you click on the Plastic Eye link in the caption above. It's super cool the things you'll find-the best part is that other amazing photographers have already done the hard part-figuring it all out. Of course, I do plan on donating to thank them. Or maybe, I shouldn't because they are, of course, enabling me to.....procrastinate! (a joke, a joke).

Line and Color

2011-07-31T09:40:00.001-04:00

Summer Color

2011-07-28T12:42:00.002-04:00

It's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate,
it takes strength to be gentle and kind,
over and over and over.
It's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate,
It takes guts to be gentle and kind,
Over, over.

~Jeff Buckley

OK, back to work.......lots of art being worked on in between the craziness that is my homestead. Only 4 kids in my house right now-a record.

But real quick, I'm wondering: Is it bad......

that sometimes I want to be one of my dogs, just lay around all day (except their food leaves much to be desired)

that I buy a couple of pounds of cherries just for myself (I mean, my kids look like vampires when they eat them and stain everything in sight-I even think that they sneak up to my closet and find that ONE white shirt I bought after a few margaritas at the Cheecake Factory near the mall-two things I rarely do (not the marg part).

that I told my son yesterday that he isn't evil just some of things he does are.

that I stayed up until 1am last night watching There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane on HBO and I almost always find myself siding with a young mother but I just want to, to, to......not going to say it.

that I was drinking red wine while watching it? (but not driving, thank you very much).

May All Your Troubles Be Little Ones

2011-07-22T10:17:00.002-04:00

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new scanner right now (he doesn't know what he's in for). Surprisingly, this little piece actually came in okay this morning but 200 dpi seems to be the limit. I'm working on some art that needs to be at the least 800dpi (line art) and my little Canon just turned in his retirement papers. Great timing. However, I know that Anne our designer for Brain,Child will be thrilled when my files don't show up in her inbox looking like they were done in crayon and smudged, furry and blurry as well as some other creative gals awaiting inbox clogging files.

The piece above has a transparent postcard (reduced in size) in the bottom right. That was a transfer I made a few years ago by ironing ink jet transparency paper onto tissue paper (labor intensive but pretty cool). The valentine postcard is from Mount Crawford, Va 1905-I have the original. If you look really, really closely the words from the back of the postcard came through in the transfer. It says "Why don't you write?" and that's it, the rest of the card is blank. And the sentiment...May all your troubles be little ones, says it all, yes?

Draw, Draw, Draw

2011-07-21T17:06:00.002-04:00

Mattias Adolfsson

Did you know....I love to draw? Love, love, love it. I saw this over at Book By It's Cover (a wonderful blog that causes me to buy way too many books-but that is NOT a bad thing, mind you.) This book is a book of artist Mattias Adolfsson's sketchbooks. I flipped though it today page by page happy as a monkey in a banana tree. I received it yesterday in the mail from Sweden and it was handed to me by my Kenyan postman-making me feel oh so worldly tucked away here in my little Round Hill.

Right now, I am juggling a few projects as well as the three kids. I found myself (after two hours of crying, dramatic, can't figure out her feelings three year old-I'm not kidding unfortunately) literally praying with two hands held together held up to the sky. Saint Anthony is the patron of lost things is my favorite.
"Saint Anthony, " I prayed with hands clasped together, "Find me the strength to get through this day, Amen, thank you very much, amen and whatever else." And my daughter promptly fell asleep, curled up on the couch.....

Tuesday

2011-07-19T16:02:00.001-04:00

just like these pops of red-this is my I can't seem to finish table

hand painting fabric designs-changing it up a bit so as not be stealing:)

more legs, liking the orange and olive green combo these days

the boy has an upside down ice cream cone on his head by the way-in case you were wondering

I just had to post the messy workspace pictures......it makes me laugh.

Random thoughts:

You know, I was thinking the other day about how much more I got done when my youngest was a baby....how is that? A baby? Oh, yeah, they take naps and don't cut their hair (still finding curls in my bedroom tucked in between bedsheets)....and recently, it seems that I am going to have to TEACH my kids how to play. My neighbor across the street invited all THREE of mine over to play, any, all, but nope they'd rather stay here and ask me myriads of questions like "When are we going to make cookies Mom?" (never said we were doing such a thing). And "Are you making artwork AGAIN?" (yes) and "Are you going to be famous?" (well, of course, hee hee hee).

It's 95 degrees outside but feels like 236. Have I mentioned that unless I am at the beach I am a big dis-liker of summer? Blasphemous, yes-I just hate being stuck inside when it looks perfectly FINE out there. With winter you can see where you might fall into a snow drift or slip on the icy sidewalk (in my opinion tons more beautiful than the witch's broomstick grass we have on display right now). Summer is deceiving here in Virginia. You can't actually see the danger of extreme heat. Summer here entices you with a nice dollop of sun each day only to wallop you with what I can the wet heat blanket, thump and wrapping you up in it like a mobster throwing you in the trunk of unbearable humidity.....dramatic, I know.

I'm reading all of the Harry Potter books this summer. Just finished the third only to go upstairs to my son's room to exchange it for the doorstop of a book four, yikes, 732 pages? And you know what? They are pretty DARN good.....Scholastic and Rowling might be on to something there. (chuckle, chuckle).

Curly Girl

2011-07-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

brought my sketchbook-didn't sketch, darn kids.

Just got back from a really quick trip down to the Outer Banks. I can't help it every time I say that, I think of the Outer Limits-twilight zone kind of thing. And it is a kind of twilight zone, and an over run one at that. Duck, NC used to be a place where you could simply get away. As a 12 year old it was sooooo BORING and now that sounds like heaven to me. (In recent memory, I actually can not think of the last time I was bored.) Now the Harris Teeter (new alternative to the only Food Lion), is teeming with New York accents bouncing off the chips shelves and the deli line there rivals Cold War Russian bread queues. Don't they have beaches in New York? Um, yes, I do believe they do. I guess the same could be said for me, seeing as that Virginia has beaches as well.
I always come back from the shore super nostalgic. It's been a family tradition almost every year of my life aside from a few years in college (money) and living out in Colorado (too far for vacation and well, money). I love watching my little ones riding the waves, jumping the foam and cheering for the crash. It's invigorating.
And now back to being home with my kids full time and I am, honestly, pulling my hair out. And speaking of pulling hair out.....yesterday, my daughter had what looked like a rat tail to rival all rat tails hanging from the back of her hairline. We just got her curly locks trimmed and the hairdresser actually did a great job with it. All curly (me) headed gals know that not everyone can cut curly hair. It's like saying that all cooks can do pastry-yes, curly hair is like dessert (ha!). So I thought, did she miss a piece? I went up to A. to do a little investigating. I tugged gently on that rogue curl and it fell into my hand. I gasped, ran my hand through the rest of her do and more and more curls were emancipated. She and her buddy had been cutting their hair in my upstairs bathroom. Now, I am really trying to not constantly tell my daughter how cute she is (which she is, except for when she is crying, which is a lot of the time)....as I recently read this by Lisa Bloom. (It's good although a bit too "motivational speaker"). But I couldn't help it, looking at the abandoned c's all over the floor, I cried (a little).
You see, I did not plan on having a daughter so much like me. What I mean to say is that, she is right now, a small replica of myself (except for that her eyes are huge and round, mine more squinty-probably because I squint?). Her hair is wild, her voice has my rasp, she is stubborn and really good at fighting her father who is always bugging her for a hug and a kiss, she is fiercely independent, and prone to wearing "sportswear". I have battled my curls for years and finally won-well, they are slightly tamed, or else, I just let it be.
So when I saw the curls, I collapsed a little. She's going to battle her curls too. She's going to battle a lot of things in her life. And I will be there with Aveda taming curl gel and a tissue in hand. But right now, there's a fire to be put out in my living room, a few PB&J's to be made, a kid to pick up at camp, god love em', I'm ready to go back to the beach....

Pics....

2011-07-05T11:08:00.001-04:00

Cunningham Falls State Park

Hillsborough Vineyards

what a view....ah.....Virginia

now that is relaxation

love my shasta daisies-oh that little gal with the chocolate mouth

fingers still hurt from making these water balloons-however i do hold the world record according to my son

our newly painted blue deck-i love it, it's like the beach came to us-furniture on it's way

UVA flamingos-bringing down the property values in our neighborhood once again

Winner!

2011-07-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

winner!

After pulling from a hat (really) the winner of the DC Deck Giveaway is........Stamping Bella!!! Obviously, I am so behind that I forgot to even pick a winner to my giveaway. Ok, that's probably rule #1 of a giveaway, be on time. We'll talk, I promise and I will get an address to send you this little package of fun. More in a bit......

Road Less Traveled By

2011-06-28T23:30:00.000-04:00

there's a story behind these two, I'll tell you later......

Bugs are running suicide missions into my studio window tonight. Because it's late and there's a light on in here. It was a tough day. Most of the day, I felt like a child' inflatable pool left out for a night or two. Stagnant, mosquito water, bitter and biting like the flies, I was today. The mother part of me goes full swing in the summer. Three kids, all home and no breaks.....as it seems, mine is the, yes, the house to be in. So I attract all manner of boys tromping through. And if I wasn't feeling like a putrid pool of water today, I would have smiled with my lot. I like it. I like that kids like it here. Thank goodness for short memory spans of the under 9 demographic. They will forget that I kicked them all out of my house today....
Tonight, my daughter (the one who cried for two hours straight this morning-causing my not so pretty implosion) and I went to the grocery store. And upon returning home, we found that we were at the end of a long line of cars on the road waiting for an invisible flag man. The direct road home was closed for maintenance of some sort. And so I made my favorite left. It's a left that wanders around beautiful countryside here in Virginia. The kind you wouldn't even know about unless you lived here-a locals road, if you will. Old schoolhouses hidden at each winding turn converted to homes, fieldstone barns, grazing horses, green, green and more green. The sun was setting in a glorious orange melon glow and I took the long way home. I smelled the honesuckle, listened to my daughter bite a lollipop in half, crunch and promptly fall asleep.
My husband, after pulling up in the driveway, "What took you so long? (because it did)".

Well, sir, I took the road less traveled by and that, has made all the difference. Sigh. Crunch. Goodnight.

DC Deck Give Away!

2011-06-27T15:22:00.002-04:00

kids have already been playing with them-can you tell?

I never do this....you want to know why? Because I'm afraid there will only be like 3 comments and I'll be feeling oh so embarrassed and in need of more therapy......so anyway, enough of that, who cares? So I'm giving away one (unplayed with) Art in Hand DC Deck of cards this Friday. Yipee!!! Mine is the 10 of clubs and I am oh so proud to be a part of such a great group of artists representing Washington DC. It's turned out to be such a fun project. So leave a comment by this Friday, July 1. You can say whatever you want-hello, hi, just don't try to sell me special P i L l s and I will use a random method (a.k.a-the old fashioned way of my kids picking out of a hat) to select a winner. So c'mon, first time reader, long time reader, just do it, show the love and I'll deck you (oh, that was fun to say).

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2011-06-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

Oh holy cow......I couldn't say this better. Do yourself a favor and jump.

Argh

2011-06-25T13:08:00.001-04:00

just a little diddy

Went to the frame shop to pick up my Three Sisters for the Touchstone Show yesterday. I thought it was weird that they hadn't called, but it's small personal operation and had the utmost confidence that my art would be there, smiling at me, ready. But it wasn't. I'm not going to spend this short little post saying bad things about people. Shucks, I should have given it more than two weeks (that is a standard turn around time) but regardless. He's getting it done today so I can bring it in tomorrow-ruining my plans for a relaxing afternoon sipping pina coladas pool side with my bookclub/girlfriends at my friend Melissa's manor home (really, it's like out of a movie). Anyway, instead, I am driving into the city again (I'm doing it today too-see, that would have been perfect-I had to go today anyway).....ah, best laid plans you are not for me. Plans in general......argh. What can ya do?

Ring!

2011-06-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

Outline

2011-06-20T10:58:00.001-04:00

Reading this interview with Brian Rea over at Illustration Friday......and simply had to post the above-reads like a song.

Summer break has started for me today and I'm planning on posting more and making as much art as humanly possible, oh and taking care of my three kids, two dogs, one husband and making sure there's food on the table-you know, the little things (ha ha ha).

Touchstone Gallery!

2011-06-15T18:28:00.001-04:00

click to enlarge press release

People With Perfect Kids Need Not Apply

2011-06-14T19:50:00.002-04:00

Really cool Notan designs done by my 6th graders (before their brains switched into Summer Mode- love em')

My daughter (3) has just finished shoving popcorn in her mouth with intensity of Cookie Monster on a cookie binge (I wish I could add sound to this post as it would be so appropriate.) Popcorn bits flew every which way, accompanied by a sinister laugh. I'm groaning, now, I've got to clean all of this up. Because, really, even though the Super Nanny may say she needs to help clean up, we all know who ends up really doing it. So it seems that I am being book ended by challenging kids. The soft fluffy marsh mellow sweet son squished into in the middle (is that typical middle child? Will I pay for this later?) Now, I'm wondering if my daughter is going to require me to check out more books from our local library. Raising Your Spirited Child (it is really all it's cracked up to be) is the only parenting book that I found helpful, along with the straight forward and dependable Raising Boys) Or is this is just being three? We'll see.

Just recently I've been really happy with living in my little tea cup sized community. The kids run free. The parents in our immediate area are not just "parents of my kids' friends" but friends of mine as well. The best thing about them is that they do not have perfect children (myself included). And best, best, of all they don't pretend like they do. There is nothing worse than that dealing with that.
If I could look back a few years on this blog you would find a pretty isolated mother and artist. My neighbors were here but my kids were too young to play together-we wandered in post baby hazes not really peeking out of our cocoons. However, I will tell you that just becoming a mother doesn't automatically make ALL mothers and neighbors be instant friends (I'm just lucky). My husband didn't get this for awhile until I explained it in sports terms. "Okay," I said, "You like football right? But does that mean then that you will get along WITH every man who likes football? Okay, never mind don't answer that, but you get my drift."
So we are extremely lucky to have very similar parenting philosophies here on Magic Mountain (yep-that's the cheesy name of my road).

I haven't been posting much due to the very busy and crazy end of school year. Only a couple more days......and then I'm planning on doing very little....little things with the kids, small excursions, mini vacations.....an art opening.....or something like that.

Colors That Pop

2011-06-08T13:44:00.000-04:00

My mailbox

Necklace I bought that I'm going to "re-essemble"


ChewLaLa

TheSundayFlower

Nests

2011-06-07T22:47:00.000-04:00

Moonlight

2011-06-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."~Twyla Tharp

Teeth (and art)

2011-06-02T21:36:00.001-04:00

I went to the dentist this week. I'm not a big fan of the dentist after having a cavity filled years ago without enough novocaine. (And that'll do it too.) Hand pounding on chair arm, dentist drilling away oblivious to the periodontal torture going on below. It's a true story but it's also an excuse to put the dentist off. Don't get me wrong, I don't have decaying teeth. I'm lucky to have a really good set which I use my whirling Sonicare on-thank you Mom, Christmas Gift 2007. I just have a bad habit of delaying bad news. You see, I still have two wisdom teeth. And after much denial and bargaining with my dentist, they are going to have to go this summer. I knew this a couple of years ago but it was right when I got sick (June 11, 2009 to be exact-I know, it's weird.) but I just couldn't submit myself to any more "procedures" pain and pity that year (see almost all posts in years 2009-2010).

Right after receiving the impending doom news (they aren't doing so well, the wisdom teeth) my dentist looked at my kind of chipped front teeth. She remarked that they had become a victim of my night grinding (yeah, I have that too) and asked could she just file them a bit-smooth them out? (Well, we all know that my chipped teeth came from Lego removal and wine glasses right?). Really? (Who jumps at the chance to have their teeth filed? ME!) Have at it, lady! And she did. This didn't hurt me at all and after my teeth looked like perfect school children all lined up and decades younger. I know! It really made my day-so simple so easy.....if only I hadn't been putting off that appointment for so long...who knew?

So this summer it's chipmunk face for me for a couple of days, having those teeth removed. But who knows maybe it'll smooth all of my wrinkles out. I am so liking this dentist stuff......

Memorial Day Weekend-Small Town Style

2011-05-31T16:42:00.000-04:00

Kids' drawing's on the "Town Hall" window.

Fun at the Hometown Festival

Ribbons for the fun run.

Our friend's beautiful Main Street home.

Bouncin' in the bounce house.

She wore that fireman hat for days.......still even today.

Walking home.

Me in the yellow at the beginning of the Round Hill 5K-very hilly, tough and hot but I got er' done!

CUPCAKE!

One of the festival games.....

Tomorrow is Friday (in case you were wondering)

2011-05-26T22:18:00.004-04:00

Wow, I just realized in my last post that I had thought it was Friday (see below). Now, I could say that it was early (it was) and that I hadn't enough coffee (I hadn't) or it was a typo but sadly, it wasn't. I distinctly remember writing Happy Friday and believing that it was.

Last night my five year old son graduated from pre-school. They played Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend In Me" which of course, made me tear up a little. I know, I know, really, it's pre-school graduation, get a grip. But it's also then end of an era of our little threesome, because next Fall he goes to school everyday and then after that, all day every day...then one child left at home. Now, this is really ironic because yes, that was me, yelling at the top of my lungs today in my van "Really! You two would rather go to Giant with me THAN play on a slip-n-slide with your friends! Really??? #@$!"
(They had chosen to come with me to the store rather than go across the street to play with their friends.)
You're shaking your head, so was I. Oh, I was thinking and fantasizing about how quickly and painlessly I will zip through the aisles and get the darn shopping done-I'd be almost gliding in no kid euphoria.
I know I've said it before and it bears repeating, I hate grocery shopping. I'd rather have my nails ripped off by woodchucks. Grocery shopping with kids is something I usually avoid at all costs-maybe it's the broken eggs, check out candy, Lucky Charm begging, aisle blocking tantrums, mean old ladies who give me the control-your-kids looks (even though, they are pretty good kids all said and done) that I could do without.
However, it wasn't but a month or so ago when I was having lunch with my two little tykes at Wegman's (a much, much better grocery store-other stores, take note. Not only do you feel like you are not at the hell's gates of a grocery store but they have a coffee shop and coffee holders on their carts-bless them) when an older woman (80's or so) said to me, (and I quote) "You are such a wonderful mother. You can tell. Your children listen to you and are so well behaved." My first instinct was to say that it was just a fluke but no, I took the compliment and ran.

Anyway....I'm watching a new episode of Craft In America right now, artists do yourself a favor and watch-they are inspiring, riveting and tear provoking. I clearly feel I should do more after watching them, push boundaries and make more, more, more......

today is just that kind of day

2011-05-25T06:22:00.001-04:00

Today

By Billy Collins

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,

so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw

open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,

indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths

and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight

that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight

on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants

from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,

holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,

well, today is just that kind of day.

Such a lovely poem, it's early, I'm drinking my coffee and eating a homemade banana nut muffin (dairy free, egg free-yep, that's vegan). I've got a few great things going on, one of them being that it's almost summer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy teaching, but this time of year will try even the most seasoned teacher. More art coming soon, I'm getting ready to officially launch my website too, just a few tucks, pulls and tweaks. Happy Friday everyone.

Just Right

2011-05-20T14:14:00.000-04:00

so sorry person who took this-i lost the contact info, apologies, apologies

There are stretches when you can feel time moving past you like water through oars.
There is time that you would anxiously like to get back.
Time that you would gladly tuck away.
Time that is wasted.

Many nights I just prop my feet up, think I should be "doing something else"......

Lately, I've been remembering this feeling I used to get when my children were younger and before I even had kids....that feeling that everything is aligned just right. When my babies were, well, babies, it could be that time when the newborn fell asleep on your chest, nestled just right, the other child out with his dad, the Christmas tree is glowing like the best kind of candy, a drink is within hand's reach, a really good movie has come on (one you have been meaning to watch) and the remote isn't even needed, there's no where to go, I am hunkered down and content.
When I was a kid, it could be a book, a comfy seat on a long car ride, a snack. A rainy day, spending time drawing in my studio, good Podcast on (Radiolab or Studio 360 or This American Life), child doodling on the soft furry rug (on paper, of course!), flow.
I know people would call this syncronicity or something fancy like that but it's simply not that easy to explain. And I haven't felt it in so long....the kids all falling asleep in their PJ's coming home from a day out, the dogs not barking as we ninja style sneak them in the house....that perfect run on a tree lined road in October. Oh, elusive feeling, where are you?
These days it feels like I'm keeping tops all spinning at once on a very slippery table. None are turning at the same frequency, or are the same color, shape or size. It'll come again.

P.S-From the cliffhanger the other day, (yes you had to read all of that drivel to get to this excitement), my neighbor's ALARM was going off. A gaggle of us watched the policemen trying to break into my friend's home only to find the front door open, no, she said later to said police officers, I wasn't robbed, my house just looks that way-love it!

TBD

2011-05-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

I am hiding in my studio as I write this. If I type too loudly, they will find me (never mind, I've been found).
Lately, I have been browsing the Vacation By Owner listings for historic properties in Central Virginia. I am needing that working and yet relaxing vacation sometime soon. Just a long weekend in an Empire Style Victorian overlooking the Shenandoah Mountains, thank you. I'm thinking of inviting some friends who may want some time to write, knit, or do something creative with their free time and then also want to trapse off to a winery or two in the afternoon....I think I'd go nuts if it were just me in that big ole' house...wait a minute, did I just say that?

cool liner paper from discarded book found in school library

also from that book about Rockets-love that it's dedicated to three sisters

nice card i got yesterday when they forgot my soy latte-man, i love when that happens

Yesterday, I went to our local mall to take down my students' art display (it's a countywide shindig) and after grabbed a soy latte at the Starbuck's kiosk. I watched as coconut something or others all cascaded by me-all topped with forbidden whipped cream (oh, how I loved you). Yet, my more orthopedic shoe drink did not make its way across the counter. Eventually, I said something, I actually wasn't in too much of a hurry. Apologetic, the barista whipped it up along with this beautiful card-yes, I am a sucker for such things-the great art and customer service.
Now I am typing this with my 5 year old on my lap because of thunderstorms. And police officers have just pulled up to my neighbor's house.....my goodness, it's no wonder. More later.....(obviously).

This Is The Whole Leaf

2011-05-10T07:52:00.001-04:00

Spring colors....very

Pictures Worth a 1000 Words

2011-05-06T15:29:00.000-04:00

Beautiful necklace from Bethtastic on Etsy

Since, I haven't come up with any witty insights or deep thoughts recently please enjoy these pictures......I'll explain more later (if I could just put this little girl down. Anyone have daughters? What is up with 3 year old girls?)

Middleburg Point to Point

My sets in action (the buildings on the sides)

A blur.....

Twin Oaks Winery-I want to go to there.....

Jumping!


More jumping!

6 Is Good For Me

2011-05-04T10:24:00.000-04:00


WIP-simple birdhouse

I have a problem these days. I seem to be both a morning and a night person. Actually come to think of it, I'm just a person who needs a little quiet time. So desperate that I stay up until 12:38 just doing whatever I WANT to-wow! I doodle, make art, eat the kid's brownies (ones I brought home from Grandma's house, treats that they don't know about-oops), watch stupid television and movies with the plot line of eight twenty somethings, the woods, ketchup for blood kind of things. Yes, I have a problem. Thing is is that when I get 6 hours of sleep I function better than 7 or 8. This drives my husband nuts. I can't sleep in, I can't go to bed early either. I know the guidelines say 7-8 hours for good health but then I just read the other day that there are some of us who can work with less. Honestly, I wish I didn't have to sleep at all (without all of the being tired stuff, of course).

So, are you a morning or a night person or both?

Three Sisters Island

2011-05-02T14:46:00.000-04:00

So, lucky me, I am one of 52 Washington DC artists who were picked to be part of the newest Art In Hand deck (of cards). Pretty darn cool. Once again, my scanner doesn't do it much justice....Most people think of Washington monuments, White Houses and politics when they think of our Nation's Capitol but no, NOT me, I think about driving in to DC on the GW Parkway and looking down into the Potomac River that runs parallel. There are quite a few rocky mini islands in the water and one day either my mother or a friend of hers (I think it was a family friend) told me of the legend of the Three Sisters Islands. Legend has it that three American Indian sisters were being pursued by a Chieftain and tried to cross and drowned there. Apparently, these three islands are known to this day as being magnets for boats to crash into, the Coast Guard (or whoever does the Potomac rescues) are called out there quite a bit. So I drew/painted my three ghostly sisters on top of a vintage Girl Scout manual page on How To Canoe....very appropriate.
Most of our originals will be on display at the Touchstone Gallery in DC in July.

Big Picture

2011-04-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

Here's a nifty screen shot of Claudine Hellmuth's Big Picture Online class-featuring some of yours truly's artwork. Note my little shout out to myself.....yes, I did that. Anyway, things have been tossed up in the air around here with my being allergic to the whole month of April and the fact that my daughter has entered the "trying 3's" doing her best to stay up well into my studio/exercise (or veg on couch with sketchbook watching House or Modern Family) time at night. I was so needing some alone (away from kids) time last night that when I got turned away from donating blood (a tad bit under the the iron levels) I was disappointed. Also, not being able to help, with giving blood too (of course).

Anyway-it's funny that I am included in a composition class as that's what's bugging me right now on about 10 pieces I have been working on forever.....I was going to post them but then thought, um, no.....but soon.....

Work

2011-04-25T22:15:00.001-04:00

still lovin' my magnum sharpie

"Conversely, expectations based on the work itself are the most useful tool the artist possesses. What you need to know about the next piece is contained in the last piece. The place to learn about your materials is in the last use of your materials. The place to learn about your execution is in your execution. The best information about what you love is in your last contact with what you love. Put simply, your work is your guide: a complete comprehensive, limitless reference book on your work. There is no other such book and it is yours alone."

Exerpt from the book Art and Fear (I highly recommend reading this-I don't know why my first college art professors didn't require we read this. I so wish I had read this in 1994. If I ever teach at the college level, it will be a requirement and those hipster art school kids will thank me from the bottom of their 19 year old hearts-ha ha, well, in about 15 years post-graduation perhaps.)

What the Living Do

2011-04-14T17:34:00.027-04:00

What the Living Do
by Marie Howe

Johnny, the kitchen sink has been clogged for days,some utensil probably fell down there. And the Drano won't work but smells dangerous, and the crusty dishes have piled up waiting for the plumber I still haven't called. This is the everyday we spoke of. It's winter again: the sky's a deep, headstrong blue, and the sunlight pours through the open living-room windows because the heat's on too high in here and I can't turn it off. For weeks now, driving, or dropping a bag of groceries in the street, the bag breaking, I've been thinking: This is what the living do. And yesterday, hurrying along those wobbly bricks in the Cambridge sidewalk, spilling my coffee down my wrist and sleeve, I thought it again, and again later, when buying a hairbrush: This is it. Parking. Slamming the car door shut in the cold. What you called that yearning. What you finally gave up. We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want whoever to call or not call, a letter, a kiss—we want more and more and then more of it. But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass, say, the window of the corner video store, and I'm gripped by a cherishing so deep for my own blowing hair, chapped face, and unbuttoned coat that I'm speechless: I am living. I remember you. I loved this poem so much when I read it that I bought the whole book. I read and re-read it. Enjoy.

Row Your Boat

2011-04-13T16:35:00.003-04:00

really rough but still loving the white ink.....

The Little Things

2011-04-11T13:47:00.000-04:00


Having fun with the Gregg Speed Building books....and of course, I found one of my favorite artists using them too. There truly aren't any original ideas anymore but that's okay-I think of it as great minds think alike (a ha ha-evil laugh).

Ghost Tree

2011-04-10T15:23:00.002-04:00

Works In Progress....

2011-04-09T17:30:00.001-04:00

Drawing with white ink is wonderful........here's a small batch of fun (unfinished but fun).

Loosening Up

2011-04-08T15:08:00.001-04:00

The other day I had one of those in the FLOW days....love them. Made so many light pieces, unlabored, new , exciting (to me)......here's one. More to come....

P.S-Chanel No. 5, I know it's famous and all but I put some on my wrist (a sample from a magazine) and I now I keep thinking there is someone else in the room with me-she's an older lady, with a purse that snaps shut and suit with matching jacket and skirt, hair coiffed and such and she doesn't like me very much.
It's a weird feeling.....

Expert Advice

2011-04-04T14:55:00.003-04:00

I smacked myself square in the lip today with the remote control. Yep, you read that right. It's swollen and broken and bothering the begeezus out of me. How does one do this to themselves you ask? While swinging it wildly at one's son, of course. No, I wasn't planning on hitting him with it, really, c'mon people. I felt like it though. But instead like some kind of weird irony I hit myself and hard.
And that kind of sums up my last week, never ending stomach bug, someone dying, someone being born, smack-life being life that it is.
My beautiful precious part time job is growing up, filling in and becoming more full time. I find myself torn between being with my children and well, being with my 12 year kids. I'm just going to hope that it all works out and that I can continue having the best of both worlds. Is it too much to ask?

I found this piece in my old emails the other day (it's pretty bad when your inbox is in the four digits-all pretty much read, mind you, just not deleted)....it just hits the nail on the head, smack. Enjoy.....

Written By Anna Quindlen , Pulitzer prize-winning columnist and Author

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow, but in disbelief.

I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.

Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach , T. Berry Brazelton , Dr. Spock . The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education - all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are , they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the play-ground taught me, and the well-meaning relations - what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement , another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome .

To a new parent, this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the 'Remember-When-Mom-Did' Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums , the bad language - mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?" (She insisted I include that here.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts.

It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

9 Things

2011-04-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

Click here

I can't say enough about the link above.....artist, writer, friends do yourself a favor and read the post above. Wow. Sometimes I wish I had read writing/advice like this circa 1994. But, oh well, I'm going to go make some stuff.......

No Worry, Life Short

2011-04-02T11:52:00.008-04:00

something blue until I find something better...

I took my two sons to the Blue Man Group last Sunday at the Warner in Washington D.C (a.k.a "The Blue Heads" as my five year old likes to call them). I have a habit of doing things like this with my kids. My enthusiasm grows itself a giant head much like a fun balloon (the kind you bop with the rubber band) and then POP.....but this time I kept my mantra of "high hopes, low expectations" at hand. I fully expected that they would enjoy the show but perhaps not as much as me. Which is a funny thing to say when the guys on stage are munching Captain Crunch, covered in blue paint, banging on drums and catching paint and marshmellows in their mouths. I'm sure they'll include this brief synopsis on their website soon.

And so I've realized lately that I don't always get to be the parent I want to be...sometimes I just have to be the parent they need. And that's really hard when the kid sitting across from you in the "touristy hip" Hard Rock Cafe has his jacket up to his ears all mutant style and the kind maitre de (is that what you'd call him at the Hard Rock?) keeps coming over to ask if everything's okay. Is there anything he can do for us? Just ask. "Yeah, can YOU tell me why my son is mad at me?" I'd like to ask. Big tips for that.

And it turns out he's upset at me for telling him that I didn't have any cash so he could buy a Washington DC sweatshirt off a vendor outside the restaurant. Now, I'll tell you if I hadn't come down with another awful stomach bug on the two preceding days I would have had cash in my pocket, extra water in the car, self inflatable raft, tissues, gum, notebooks, crayons, the Flip Video, and anything else a Boy Scout would be proud of. All of this to ward off all fronts the boy could throw. Be Prepared is a motto on my flag I never planned on flying-I was a fly by the seat of my pants girl until I had my oldest.

(Now, some of you who don't know my son might be saying-ungrateful child, he should just be happy going to the show and eating at a pretty nice restaurant and believe you me, I'm thinking the same thing. But almost 8 years of this has taught me that it's not about the sweat shirt and it's never about the socks. It's about something else-taking him out of his comfort zone, and his acting out to gain control. Our back and forth, our relationship, me and my oldest son. I know, I'm starting to sound like an expert on the subject, well, I am.)

And so I gave in. Found a place that would take a debit card, griping the all the while that we are going to be late and how stupid it is that he wants the sweat shirt which looks just like one he has at home. He's pushing me and I am giving and rising like homemade bread dough. My guard is down. I'm not feeling well. I just want to get to the dang show. Credit card machine goes down, temper up. But I contain it enough. Woman behind the counter (small, Asian, sweet) says in her choppy english, "You know, sometimes you have to think, hey, life short. Don't worry much." As she takes my 15 dollars, smiles. She's right though.

But I still can't help barking at the boys to pick up the pace, the theater is still 3 blocks away. I wonder why they run everywhere except when I need them to. We arrive safely and plop ourselves in line, enter the theater with no more tempest. Calm. Our seats are in row TT, way up in the clouds, a.k.a the balcony. And now, my oldest can't see. I am beginning to kick myself, I should know better than to do things like this with young children. What to do, what to do.
"Look Mom," he shows me his prize winning sweatshirt balled up in the bag, " I can sit on this." And he does and he can see over the man's head in front of him.
And because of that whole debacle, it allowed me to the be the parent I want to be, one that shows my kids creativity, fun and encourages them to use their imagination and shake their money makers (you have to see Blue Man to understand). I swear sometimes there's camera on me.
"See Mom," he says grining, "We really DID need the sweatshirt." I look above at the elaboratedly decorated theater ceiling (along with massive chandelier that will soon be covered in dangling toliet paper, really, see the show) and silently say a thank you.
The boys sit on the edge of their seats loving every part of the show. And I think to myself, Beth- no worry so much, life short.

Out-Of-Doors

2011-03-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” ~John Muir

Bluebird of Happiness Vol.9

2011-03-21T18:08:00.000-04:00

Blessings

2011-03-20T11:18:00.004-04:00

A few months before my daughter Anna was born, about three years ago, I wasn't making art much at all. There was the quarterly production of Brain,Child that, thank goodness, kept my pen moving but there wasn't much else. My sketchbooks were full of words but not images. I was still trying to figure out the mother/artist balance. For years, I had put a cover on that birdcage. Many artistic mothers talk about how their creativity sprung alive when they had their children, but not for me. There were no sleeping child sketches and no big bag of ideas was dropped off by the stork along with the baby. I didn't mind too much though. I was very busy as you could imagine.
I remember the week that the tides turned. I was in Duck, NC (where I seem to have a lot of epiphanies) at the beach, pregnant with my daughter and just trying to hold on to my sanity with the two boys tugging on every part of me. I thought, I've just plain lost myself. So I employed a rather logical method (weird for me, I know):
Problem:
1. No time to make art
2. Kids always getting into my stuff
3. Can never finish anything
4. Want to use more elements and media in my art and I don't know how to

Answers:
1. In between diaper changes and at night no matter how tired just do a little I told myself...anything was better than nothing.
2. Put a high table in my kitchen. I have a tall table that the kids can not reach (well, at the time)...from Ikea- love Ikea. It's positioned right in the middle of the mayhem. I kept my eye on things. I'd work in tiny, miniscule increments-not noticeable to the untrained eye.
3. Work small (which works for my kind of art anyway).
4. Go to the bookstore and find a book about collage. Duh, why hadn't I thought of that before.

Why am I re-hashing all of this? Loyal readers, you know most of this already. I am re-telling this story because the book I found became my like, art bible. I used it, referenced it, adapted it to my style. It was four years of art school all wrapped up into a beautiful and inspirational package. It was my "A Ha" moment, thank you Oprah. I know I sound gushy and that's so not like me. But honestly, if you asked me what changed everything, it was that night in Borders in the Art section and this one copy peeking off the shelf. It should have said For Beth. I tucked it under my arm, checked out and went off to my soccer game that night knowing that things were changing, moving in the right direction for me.

The book was Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth (see above).
The other day she (Claudine Hellmuth, that is) contacted me. She loves my work. Would she be able to use some my images in an online course she was teaching?
The world works in funny and creative ways.
I told her I was honored.

I'm honored and grateful for all of the friends who support me and let me know everyday that my art makes them smile, reminds them of good times, tells a story. Thank you.

Zombies Part 6

2011-03-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

appropriate Zombie like artwork-just for fun

My second grader brought home a reference book on Zombies (yes, you read that right) from his school's library today. It's the kind of book that treats the undead as if they were actually real-I guess you would call it a parody of a reference book. It shows them in various PG to PG-13 states, pretty spooky stuff. Well, let's just say that I would never had cracked its cover as a child because the cataract troubled monster on the front holding an unconscious (dead?) woman would have kept me away like well, garlic and vampires. Now, I am a non-book burning card carrying member. I think that Tom Sawyer should be left alone and explained to the young reader-we teachers, call these teachable moments. But this book kind of stopped me in my tracks. It was a bit eye opening and also a complete reminder of the differences between me at 7 (Little House) and my son at 7 (Little Shop of Horrors).

So I sit down with J and we look at the book together. Something about the title and cover were sending me the I better explain this thoroughly message...hmmm.....
"Now J," I explain, "You know that these are just people in costumes right? Like Halloween?
"Uh huh, uh huh, " the boy confirms.
"This is just a fun book about silly things that are supposed to be scary right?" Head nods.
"Yeah, I KNOW mom," J says a bit exasperated (like let's get on to the head eating part already).
"Okay," I say, "just so you know. It's made up, it's just for giggles and laughs and fun scares. Pretend right?"
"Yes, Mom, I KNOW. I know the book is just for fun."
Pause.
Soooo......what do REAL zombies look like?" he asks.

Oh brother.

Mystery

2011-03-15T20:55:00.001-04:00

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Many a night I would see the beginning of PBS's Mystery blink onto our television screen...my mom was turning to her "me" time, watching programs that seemed wholly boring to a child (me) except for the opening to this show. Such an impression it made.....my Edward Gorey crush began.