It Lights the Whole Sky

Even after

All this time

The sun never says

to the Earth, 

"You owe me." 

Look what happens

With a love like that

It lights the whole sky.

-Hafiz

"It Lights the Whole Sky"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Beauty in the Absence of Color

Ask a physicist and they'll say that black and white are not colors as they don't reside on the spectrum. Ask an artist and, if they're like me, they'll say that both black and white are among their favorite colors to work with. It's all semantics and I'm betting we can agree that beauty is present no matter how its parts are defined.

"Beauty in the Absence of Color"

Through September 15, I will be donating 50% of all of my original art sales to the those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Here is the link to my online gallery. 

 https://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/kali-parsons-3935

Click on "Available" to see my available work. If you're in Austin leave a comment if you'd like to purchase something...there's no need for you to pay the shipping costs if you can pick it up at my place. Thank you for supporting my fundraising efforts!!! 

 All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Venus 6

I didn't intend to, but I seem to be taking about a two week break from creating art. I've spent about five minutes doing a bit of sketch work, but that's it. I've learned over the past 7 years that my mind/body/spirit lets me know when to take a little time off. But I can feel the urge to paint tickling at the back of my mind and I'm so happy that a rainy weekend is coming up. I find storms particularly inspiring.

In the meantime, I've got a few more small paintings I did during and after our trip to the PNW. Here's another in my Venus series. As a 5' tall woman who gave birth to two big babies (8 lb 2 oz and 9 lb 2 oz) I have a particular love for and appreciation of childbearing hips.

"Venus 6"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Love and Whimsy

When David and I were in Oregon recently, love and whimsy defined our days...made possible in huge part by our dear friends and hosts. This tiny piece lives there. Lucky little canvas!!

"Love and Whimsy"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Paths Connected

Looking at this piece I thought of a dear friend of mine. I just put it in an envelope and this morning it will begin its journey her way. I'm so grateful that our paths connected many years ago. What a wonderful gift friendship is.

This was sketched with my eyes closed and then later I added some thickness to some lines and then I added watercolor.

"Paths Connected"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Primal Feminine

Sometimes a random India ink doodle goes all wildly expressive, wildly feminine...primal feminine. And sometimes a dear friend sends you a perfectly timed article.

"Primal Feminine"

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Three Times the Love

So here was the little guy's plan for tonight.


5:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.

6:30 - Go shopping a the thrift store.

7:00 - Go back to the gym for a second workout.

8:00 - Go to Target.

8:30 - Go back to the gym for, yes, a third workout.


Now while the kid gets major points for both working out with his mom (me) and for wanting to go thrifting, I'm choosing to be a total spoil sport and here is the plan that I say I'm willing to do.


6:30 - Go shopping at the thrift store.

7:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.


Little guy: "OK, I think a light workout is good tonight."


An hour workout is a "light" workout. Being 48 is so different than being 16.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

My Heart Swells

It was like old times today.

When my kids were little we'd all load up in my car, or on our bicycles, and head up to the neighborhood elementary school. I worked there as a teacher and they learned there as students. It was an awesome one-stop-shopping experience. And then my big guy moved on to middle and high school, and then my little guy did the same, and then I was left at the elementary school all alone (not counting all of the students and staff that remained, of course).

But today my big guy was subbing for the woman I work with and my little guy was there volunteering for track and field...there we all were under one big roof again!

My day was made!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Love and Wisdom

My big guy turned twenty yesterday. It was a rather lovely pairing having my first born's birthday occur on Mother's Day. I'm usually not one to go in for celebrating that holiday, but celebrating the birth of my kid...well, that's the best way to celebrate being a mother.

And I celebrate all that he has been, all that he is, and all that he will be. Love you, kiddo!


This was a special request from my open studio tour over the weekend. Hoooooo knew that owls were so popular?

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Say "Hello" to my Little Friend

So a funny thing happened during WEST. One of my owl paintings was bought on Saturday...and the next morning this little fella hatched.

HUGE thanks to everyone that stopped by this weekend!!! Dave and I loved every second of it. If you missed it this weekend, please come see us next weekend. Click here for studio tour info.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

The Wonder of Quilts

I painted this miniature quilt for a lovely friend of mine whom I've had the great pleasure of working with for the past eleven years. Lucky, lucky me!!! Oh, and she happens to also be a fabulous quilter.


But then, of course, my mind wanders as I gaze upon this wee little quilt. You see, I had a fabulous quilt experience just this morning. We had a washing machine mishap as I was about to leave for work this morning. Last night I'd cleaned out the little filter thing and I thought I'd gotten it completely back in...but the water rushing out of our laundry room told a completely different story.

I ran and got towels. I ran and woke up Dave. I ran and got more towels...and more towels...and more towels! And even with every bath towel we owned spread around on our floor, it was not enough.

So I ran and got two of our quilts. And those quilts had some super soaker soaking up power!

And then my mind wandered again and I thought, "Now I get why toilet paper is 'quilted'!"

...Yup, my early morning "aha" moment.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Surrounded by Love

Last weekend I attended a reception at a gallery where some of my art is on display. It was incredibly wonderful. The most delightful folks were there...other artists (my mom among them) and folks that appreciated art (my husband among them). It was positively blissful to be in a space filled with such a love for art.

Honored, humbled, and deeply grateful....

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Noticing...

I went to the main grocery store in my hood today after school.  It's the grocery store where I go to buy, for lack of a better word, crap.

Yes, there are things on our shopping list that the family wants but I can't find at my preferred stores.


Anyway, at this particular store, where I often feel thankful that there's security on the premises, I always find myself gifted with awesome/strange/beautiful happenings, and this afternoon was no exception.


- I saw a fella pick up what looked like a wallet and immediately take it to a lady who had just gotten in her car (bonus points because she is a friend of mine and we'd just chatted...though I hadn't noticed the dropped wallet).

- I saw a family posing for a photo in front of a display of toilet paper...on purpose!

- I saw a lady who was likely in her 70s with pink and gray hair...I want to be her when I grow up!


Good times!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Lit Up

Year after year we've put lights up on the outside of our house for the holiday season...sometimes a big display of lights and sometimes small.  But for some reason, last year Dave and I never got around to it at all.  Now it wouldn't have been any big deal except for that our house is on a corner and all three of the other corners were lit up.  We felt the friendly pressure, though not enough to actually do anything about it. And one night we came home and our house had lights!  One of our delightful neighbors had decorated one of our bushes.

So what did I do today? Well, I ran out front and wrapped one of our trees in the very same lights that my neighbor had given us last year.

Feeling quite festive and accomplished...and sparkly.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Blissfully Frozen

Due to the kid's athletics schedule these days we find ourselves out and about during the wee hours of the morning when it's still around freezing temps.  We heat up a blanket in the dryer, get in the car, snuggle up, and we're off.  And we always...always...see tons of people working out on our way.  Some are running, some are doing yoga, and some are doing some sort of boot camp/crossfit thing. 


Little guy:  "I'm concerned about these people's mental health, mom."

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Post Revolution

So a year later my big guy finally saw the clip of me on NBC's "Revolution". 


Me:  "It's on Netflix now, check it out."

Big guy:  "No, mom, I'm busy.  I'll look at it later."


Later...and by later I mean about an hour after I'd fallen asleep and was happily dreaming-n-drooling.  A puddle on my pillow is a sign of some good sleep happenin'.


Big guy:  "Hey, mom!  I just watched you...that was cool!  You looked a lot like the star of the show."


The star is in her early 20s...he was instantly forgiven for waking me up.


Until...

Big guy:  "You both looked dirty."


I'm good with it.  This forty-seven year old broad is happy to look like a dirty chick in her 20s any day.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Entrepreneurial Spirit

So the little guy and his friend have been selling drinks and other stuff in our front yard during the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  They've been making money in the way that you'd expect...but a little while ago my kiddo came in carrying a banana peel.


Little guy:  "Someone paid me a dollar to throw this in our trash."

Me:  "Groovy!"

Little guy:  "Do we have any more ice?"

Me:  "Just what's in the freezer."

Little guy:  "Good!  Someone wants to buy ice so they can make a margarita."


Loving these little entrepreneurs!!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Cookie Love

I've always rather liked rewards.  You know, simple stuff like crossing things off of a "to do" list, the few coins I find in the washing machine after doing a load of the family's laundry, and hugs.  Hugs are always good.  But lately the main reward I've been wanting is cookies.

Yes, I'm Kali...and I've got a problem.  A cookie problem.

It seems whenever I eat my lunch or dinner, my tastebuds collaborate with my brain and they all say, "We deserve a cookie!"

So do I indulge them with a fabulous chocolate chip cookie?

Do I present them with a whimsically decorated sugar cookie?

Do I give them a meticulously criss-crossed peanut butter cookie?

Nope, nope, nope!


No...because they're stuck with me they get an amazing gluten free ginger snap cookie...or five.

And they are SO happy!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I sent my Inner Goth Chick Packing

Remember last week when the kid got his mohawk and I went all goth with black fingernail polish and all?  (Read all about it here.)  Well, I'd actually only planned on going goth for a day or so...but when I looked for fingernail polish remover, it was nowhere to be found.  So since it was a late night discovery and I wasn't about to go shopping right then, I just painted over my already chipped nails and went to bed. 

The next morning I realized that right after school I needed to race down to a workshop I was attending.  So off I went, black fingernails and all, to where I got to meet and then spend three wonderful days with about thirty of the most phenomenal women (and one dude) I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Did I go around explaining my nails?  Nah.

Did anyone ask about them?  Nope.

Did my inner goth chick have the best time ever?  Absolutely!!


P.S. Last night I removed the black fingernail polish and sent my inner goth chick packing...but I think it's safe to assume she'll be back...often.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

He got in Touch with his Feminine Side

So someone...yes, the same someone as always...has been found guilty of opening a package addressed to me. 


Me upon seeing what I'd been expecting strewn about the kitchen table:  "Hey, who opened my package?"

Nameless someone:  "I did."

Me:  "It's never OK to open a package with someone else's name on it!"


Seriously, right?  I mean opening a package is one of life's greatest pleasures.


Nameless someone:  "It said 'Kali Parsons or Resident'.  I'm a resident."

Me:  "Not buying it.  Not OK.  Not ever."


And while I'm still annoyed, I kind of wish I'd been a fly on the wall when he opened the package of free sample Kotex I'd ordered.  Bet he was a tad disappointed.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!