Dreamer - Part 3

"Dreamer"

I neglected to document the final stages of this painting. In addition to giving her wavy hair and adding some green to the background, I painted over her right eye at least five times as I tried and tried to get that eye right...not too heavy, not too light, just right. I'm not sure it's "just right", but it is right enough. I like that her face isn't that of complete serenity. There's just the slightest touch of angst. Just like in all of us.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Dreamer - Part 2

My little guy got some chips today at a Subway. They were biscuit and gravy flavored. Have you ever heard of such a thing? They had other crazy flavors, too, but I only offered to pay for one bag and that's the one he picked. Against my better judgment, I tried one of them. And you know what? Those crazy chips did taste exactly like biscuits and gravy. I felt like I was on some futuristic TV show where I ordered a meal in a pill form and it tasted like the meal I wanted. While I can't really recommend them as a yummy addition to any meal, I will definitely recommend them as a weird space-age taste experience.


I've continued working on this painting but I'm not ready to call it done. I still have work to do on her. I like the direction it's heading, though. Maybe tomorrow will be "finish" day.

I extended her chin lower and added more color
to her hair. I also added more ribbons.

I added a brown tone to her hair.

I added even more brown and lengthened her eyelashes.
I think they're too thick and dark. I also added
pink to the ribbons and darkened her lips.

I lightened her lashes and worked on the background a bit.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Dreamer - Part 1

Even dogs like to feel fancy. I don't know about bows, painted nails and such, but I do know that when I put a bandana around Hazel's neck she clearly releases her inner cowgirl and struts her stuff. So this week she's got her pink outfit on. I'm thinking a sporty red for next week.


I started on a new painting. I've been exploring all things flowers and loving it!

I started with an abstract background, fully
planning on painting over much of it.

I laid in the basic shape of a woman
wearing a floral headband.

I added color to a lot of the elements.

I added texture to her hair and added another layer to
her face, neck, shoulders, and dress.

I added another layer of paint and
added highlights to the flowers.
I also added ribbons.

She still needs tons of work. Her chin isn't big enough and I want to work on her flesh tones. I also want to do more with her hair.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Days Gone By

I was digging through my desk drawers at work last week. It's not the most organized space, but it's OK, there's not much in there to keep track of. I noticed one thing, though. I have a TON of hair ties and there are some in every drawer. I haven't a clue as to why, but it's a fact. And I also have a ton of them at home.

AND I'm getting my short hair cut to an even shorter length tomorrow.


So I'm thinking that I must gather all those hair ties up and add them to my "Days Gone By" collection...current members are my nose rings, my many containers of crazy color nail polish, my belly dance stuff, my biker jacket, and on and on.

Mind you, "Days Gone By" is decidedly not a life sentence, every item is available for resurrection at a moment's notice.

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!

Hip Check on a Hippie Check

Me:  "Who's more hip...me or dad?"

Both of my kids point at me.

Dave:  "Who has more hips?"

Little guy:  "I think that's her, too."


I'm just going with that makes me a hippie chick.

Click here to purchase this piece.

 

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

Officially "Vintage"

Spent a lovely day celebrating birthdays with my mom today.  We ate good grub and then we went shopping at a vintage store.  I went through rack after rack finding tons of amazing things that were way too high maintenance for little old me (i.e. required dry cleaning and/or ironing), but happily, I did find a few must-haves.  At one point we were chatting it up with one of the owners and she mentioned that they're getting stuff from the 80s and earlier because they are a "vintage" store, after all.

Um...80s, eh?  So the clothes I wore in high school are now considered "vintage"?  What?  And then I looked at my mom and thought, "No, clothes from when she was in high school are 'vintage'.  That's how it's always been."  But I kept my pursed "vintage" mouth shut and figured that, hey, I've got some stuff in my closet that's officially worth something.

Click here to purchase this painting.

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

Hippie Chick Fail

A funny thing happened at the store today.  I was walking around, holding my phone, checking off items on our shopping list that Dave and I had entered (we're geeky, we can both enter things and it combines it as one list), and a nice super market guy asked me, "You need any help finding anything?"


Me:  "No, I've got it, thanks."

Super market guy:  "I just noticed that you were looking at your phone for a while."

Me:  "My shopping list is on it.  I was checking things off."


And then I realized that while my goal was to be a hyper environmentally conscious paperless, canvas bag carrying mama, in reality I was just one of the masses who walks around not engaging with others because they're so focused on their hand held technology.

Hippie chick fail.

Click here to purchase this painting.

In Need of Support

So my little guy went out in drag for Halloween this year.  And while he got to have the delightful freedom that a skirt allows, he also go to experience an issue that is not so delightful.


Little guy:  "That bra you had me wearing didn't hold these up."  He held up the roller derby socks I'd "enhanced" him with.

Me:  "Not enough support, eh?"

Little guy:  Yeah, they kept popping out."

Me:  "Yup, it happens."


Super mom here...doing my part to bring up a man with empathy.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Old Bag

Maybe this hasn't become the norm in your city, but in ours, everyone is expected to bring bags to stores when shopping.  Bye bye plastic bags...hooray!  Me?  This has been absolutely no problem as I've been using my own bags for many, many years.  Dave?  Ya, never has a bag...ever.

So, anyway, when we were out and about the other day we did a spur of the moment stop at a store.


Me:  "You don't keep bags in your car."

Dave:  "Not besides you."

Me:  "What?"


Two things.

1) I'm pretty sure Dave just called me an old bag.

2) He gets points for being funny and having good timing.

3) One of the things that makes our marriage work is that I always say, "What?" when I think he needs a second chance...because I do love him so, I really do!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Warrior Princess

If you know me, you likely know I'm fart phobic (click here for proof)...particularly when it comes to yoga.  Seriously, it's on my "won't do" list.  But last night I conquered my fears.  I downward dogged, I child posed, I warriored, I saluted the sun...and I got through it with nary an issue.  Oh, and did I mention that they also had us in partners, actually touching strangers?!?!  Well, I got through that, too, without hyperventilating and passing out or anything.

Seriously feeling like that warrior I posed as.  Can't wait to do it again!

Click here to purchase this painting.

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I'm Making Dorky Cool

I've been reunited...with my bike!  And I'm so, so, so happy!

You see, I live at the top of a hill and pretty much everywhere I need to go on my bike (aside from work) requires that I ride down a fairly steep hill.  My bike, which is a fairly old cruiser with no bells and whistles.  It's stripped down, no reflectors, no gears, no kickstand, only rear brakes...and that is all.  And I LOVE IT!  Well, I loved it until a couple of years ago, that is.  Somehow the awareness of my mortality kicked up a notch, just as it has been doing bit by bit since I hit my thirties.  Anyway, blazing down those steep hills with only a rear brake that worked-ish was getting to me.  I found myself making plans for if/when the cable snapped or some other such failure thing occurred.  My plan?  Well, do the Flinstone's version of braking of course.  Yup, I'd be draggin' my feet, and hopin' and prayin' I'd come to a stop before I hit the busy street.  My other plan?  Slam into the curb at my right and flip over my bike and land in the rocky/thistley terrain.

So I worked with that plan for a while and then I came to the conclusion that, hey, I could resolve this whole issue if I just took my bike to a shop and got a front break.  Tah-da!  Problem solved, right?  I loaded my bike in Dave's car and headed to the bike shop.


Me:  "I want to get a front brake put on my bike because I have to go down steep hills a lot and I feel nervous about depending on just my back brake."

Bike service guy:  "You don't want to do that to this bike.  It won't look cool."

Me:  "Oh."


And I left the shop.  And I stopped riding my bike...completely...except for riding to work as no hills are involved.  And my heart was a little broken.


Two years later.  Yesterday I found myself gazing at my bike and longing to go on the long rides we used to love sharing with each other.  Need I remind you that I'm pretty much in love with my bike?  So, my big guy was willing to take me and my bike in his car to the bike shop...a different one.


Me:  "I want to get a front brake put on my bike because I have to go down steep hills a lot and I feel nervous about depending on just my back brake.  I know it won't look cool, but I just want to feel safe."

Bike service guy:  "Oh, sure.  It's a great old bike.  Let me show you what we have."

Me:  "Oh, yay!"


And just a few hours later I got a call that my bike was ready.  Dave and I went to get it...and my bike, she looked lovely, amazing, and decidedly cool.

And this morning I got up bright and early and my bike and I went for one of our long and day dreamy rides.  Bliss!


This is what I looked like when I was riding my bike...only my eyes were open...and I was wearing a helmet...and all my crazy hair was tied back...and there were only flowers on the ground.  OK, maybe this is just how I felt when I was riding my bike.

This painting is available for purchase at:  Blissed Out Hippie Chick

Thanks for "liking" my blog posts!!