Ladie's Lunch 2 addendum

A few more pics from the event.

8th International LDS Art Competition

Check out the beautiful works of the 8th International Art Competition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here.

A Painting for the Taylors and a purple headdress

I did this painting for my sister's front room. When I got out the camera it was to take a picture of the painting in progress, but the photo seems to be more about a certain purple headdress in the bottom left, don't you think?

The final painting. Hmmm . . . I'm not sure which one I like best, the final, or the "in progress" version. It would be lovely to have both. This is the framed final version hanging on Jennifer's wall. I really like the frame with it.

Crafties

Here are some paintings I've been working on and the beginning of a papier mache deer I sold at the Beehive Bazaar. Sadly, I never got good pics of the finished deer.

The Witches

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Collage

Here we see the progression of the family tree collage honoring the women of my mother's family, both past and present. My cousin Lindsey initiated a "Ladies Lunch" at which we gathered to hear stories about our female ancestors, share a delicious spread of soup and sandwiches (perfected on the George, of course), and collaborate on an artistic representation of the stories we heard, as well as our own stories. What a delightful day! Hopefully the collage will be able to travel to different homes of sisters in our family over the years. We've left room for more details to be added by those who couldn't attend, or those may become part of our family in the future. Also, there are quite a few details I still need to add to elaborate on the stories of our female ancestors pictured in the collage. I shall post the finished artwork eventually for all to see. I hope to bring the canvas to our Thanksgiving feast to solicit a bit of help in finishing up some of the details. Thanks for all who were there and helped make the Ladies Lunch such a success.

Halloween Cat and a Red Gladiola

A silly little decoration I made last year. Not my best, but fun to paint nonetheless.



I planted a whole bunch of gladiolas, but only had a few blooms. This electric red gladiola was a loner (the only red one—Pantone Red 032) and I'm glad she made it. Nieces and nephews collected these acorns for me from Nama & Papi's backyard.

Mavis Paints

Whenever I'm painting Mavis paints too.

Portrait of Mavis

I painted this portrait of Mavis just a few weeks before baby Jack was born. I'd been wanting to have a portrait of Mavis done for a while but had kept putting it off. Oddly, I suddenly got excited about it. It must have been the right time to do it because it just flowed from my hand almost as easily as writing my name. This was somewhat miraculous to me as I have not enjoyed drawing faces or painting like this for a long time, and have not felt I did it very well in the past, but this portrait was super fun and turned out very well. Vivid colors and patterns represent to me Mavis's vivid, intense personality, and her intelligence. Her eyes also belie intensity despite her reclined pose. The dominant colors are pms 360 & 374 (greens), 114 (yellow), 198 (red), 325 (aqua blue), and 701 (pink).

Pebble Pets — turtle and dog

These Pebble Pets are some I created when I taught a mid-week Young Women's class for church several years ago. They are fairly small, maybe 2.5" tall at the most. Don't mind the plastic bird from the Cinderella Polly Pocket set (you couldn't even tell what it was, could you?) in the center of the photo.

Beehive Bazaar Dec. 2007 — A tribute to my mom

Last Christmas I made some things to sell at the Beehive Bazaar. Here they are:

Note cards and Buttons

10" tall Gingerbread Cookies
("Ms. Ginger" came solo; a packet of 2 cookies was named "Fred & Ginger")

Painted Reclaimed School Chairs

I must give some credit to my mom. She helped me make and decorate all of the gingerbread cookies. She also deserves partial credit for all of the projects I do. She gave me some of the most important tools I have. She taught me to brainstorm, to think creatively, to commit myself to excellence. I remember watching her tole painting. She had such precision and control in her hand. I remember watching her pipe icing decorations on a stunning wedding cake. Again, the dexterity and discipline she exhibited were impressive. I remember time and time again coming to her with a school assignment and no idea where to start. She never failed to light the way, helping me organize my thoughts, develop ideas, and carry out the project. I certainly didn't feel creative or skilled in my efforts during those years. Moments of clouded brain syndrome still inhibit me on occasion, at which time I push aside the despair of an approaching deadline and an expectant client and try to remember my mother's lessons. You learn from doing, even someone else's doing. So moms out there: do not fear that your child isn't learning anything when you sit down and do their homework with them. As long as you do it with them, and not for them, they will learn more than you thought you had to teach.

An Easter bunny

I first made this bunny poster for a pin-the-tail-on-the-bunny game for an Easter celebration. I couldn't bear to throw it away at the end so I attached it to this metal ceiling tile that I'd picked up at an antique shop, painted, and attached a silk ruffle to. The ensemble now hangs over M's bookshelf in her bedroom. The silk ruffle is in a delicious, lipstick pink (pms 1785) that I often crave (it's like craving sugar, that's how eye-candy works). Yes, the bunny has a real cotton tail.

A tiger, an hyena, and an elephant

I did these paintings at the beginning of the year. I wanted the nursery to be decorated so I'd have something to look at while I rocked the new baby that was coming. Also, I wanted the room to be clad in greys, oranges, browns, greens, and black. That seemed fitting for a baby boy. I'm sure Jack is stoked about it too. The paintings each incorporate pieces of fabric I cut shapes from. The fabric is from IKEA and I purchased enough to make a runner for the dresser and I will soon be making a stuffed pillow/armchair thing out of the same. I may have enough left over for a few more pillows for the bed (when we switch the crib out for a bed someday).





You may notice that these animals appeared in an earlier post. I first created them for the invitation to M's birthday party and the hyena puppets at the party too.

No formula for this one

There isn't a pantone that can do justice to the magnificence of a sunrise. The colors made with light and transparency are so brilliant. One thing I love about sunrises and sunsets is the ephemeral nature of such an art display. It's of the moment, doesn't last, and can only be enjoyed for a few seconds, maybe minutes. The beauty of it is that despite the impermanence (is that a word?), it has more power to move me than any immobile piece of art. I think that's one thing I love about dance too. It moves me beyond what most other art can, yet there's nothing to show for it afterward. I like that it leaves no physical trace, no footprint, no mess. I don't have to have a place to store it or hang it. As much as I love art on paper or canvas, or some other such medium, it can become a burden in it's redundant need for appreciation and care as time passes. The past can be great to remember, but living in the moment of an ephemeral artwork, then allowing it to pass without regret is refreshing and invigorating to me. Such an act allows for the joy of creation without the aftermath of "what do I do with all of this stuff that is so precious to me that I can't throw it away, but that I really don't have a place for." Food is another medium that fits this fantastic phenomenon of ephemeral art. It can be a joy to create, and bliss to consume, and you can repeat the joy the next day and the next and the next. It actually goes rotten if you try to keep it around for too long. I am reminded of the book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. It's a great read. I shall let go of the past, be blissful right now and throw out those shoes I've been saving that I know deep down, I will never wear again.

Party Animals

M had a big birthday party this year (many moons ago by now). The kids assembled tiger cupcakes, finger-painted with pudding, and made purple hyena cub puppets, among other things. I had fun designing the invitations. I think the birthday girl was pleased (and partied-out). Her new princess dress is a delightful purple (pms 2725). Several months later the dress is still a hit.