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.

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

Follow the Bouncing Ball

Monday marks the start of my 14th year of teaching. I've been super lucky to work with 3, 4, and 5 year old children who happen to have disabilities and who also consistently show me that they have the most amazing super powers. When I finished this painting it reminded me of a ball bouncing...and then I thought of my classroom filled with my students which at times reminds me of a whole room full of bouncing balls. Let the fun begin!

"Follow the Bouncing Ball"

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.

The Art of Observing

I drew the black lines with my eyes closed and then with eyes opened I thickened some of the lines and added color. To me, the figure on the left appears to be taking in the beauty of the figure on the right. I'm in awe of the delight and pure bliss of taking the time to observe our world, with both closed and open eyes.

"The Art of Observing"

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.

A New Chance at Life

Every once in a while I really don't like what I paint. Not often because I'm really flexible with my expectations of myself, but at times I can't help but feel like I want to crumple my paper up and toss it in the recycling bin.

I had that feeling a few weeks ago, but I fought the urge thinking that maybe, just maybe, the piece would grow on me.

Well, it didn't. So I decided to chop that painting up into four pieces, layer some acrylic on top, and see where it took me. My Phyllis piece from yesterday was one of the pieces. I liked it MUCH better than before. Today's is also one piece. Only with this piece I left one small portion of the original. And now that part I hadn't liked before...well, now I rather dig it.

So, yeah, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and all that stuff, right? So fun giving my work a new chance at life.

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

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Today's Henna

I'm learning...and possibly even improving.

That's all I can ask, right?

I noticed last night that my previous henna had completely vanished. So of course it was time for another. Of course!

Here's how I think I'm learning and improving.

1. I'm learning that the further away from my hands, the longer the henna seems to last. All that handwashing takes its toll.

2. I'm squeezing the henna bag more gently and evenly. Makes my lines more smooth. I think. I hope. And I don't have a hand cramp. Yup, last time I had a hand cramp that lasted the entire evening.

3. Perfection is the furthest thing from my mind. Happily I don't even know what that word means.

Anyway, this is super fun! Join me sometime!!

And, just a reminder, my forearm is decidedly not for sale, I find I need it,

but if you'd like to check out some of my purchasable art...

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!

Something New...Something Blue

I love trying new things, I really do, but something I just did for the first time ever is not working out so well for me.

You see, I managed to bite my tongue in what appears to be the absolute, perfect way to bruise it good and plenty. While I've bruised pretty much everything else at one time or another (I tend to walk into things a lot), who knew that it was even possible to bruise a tongue?

Anyway, I'll be distracted by this whole event for a while...I figure my entire sense of reality has undergone a shift.

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

 

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Just Stay Asleep

The little guy and I are taking a trip to California in a couple of days.  As I got him up this morning for before-school wrestling practice, here's how it went.


Little guy:  "What time does our flight leave?"

Me:  "Around 7 AM."

Little guy:  "Ugh."

Me:  "But we have to get there an hour before that, so we'll have to wake up around 5 AM."

Little guy:  "Ugh!!  You're going to push me around in one of those luggage carts so I can just stay asleep, right?"

Me:  "Um...nope."

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 Family's Shopping List

Every time I go to the grocery store I text my family, "Add to the shopping list!"

So, when I arrived at the store and pulled out my phone to check the list, here's what I saw:


Earth worms

Propeller hat

Yarn

Pet rock

Altimeter

Nose hair trimmer

Eye of newt

Grass clippings

Deodorizing charcoal underpants

Spitoon

Hair straightener

Tibetan flag

Water balloon launcher

Axle grease


Well, I blew all that off...except for the deodorizing charcoal underpants.  In my family those are a must have!

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 Lift

I discovered something funny a few days ago.   Apparently I managed to have an eye lift at the age of eighteen months. 

When I was a wee one I had a barbel shaped growth over my left eye.  It was going out just under my eyebrow, and going in...straight into my brain.  The thing had to go.  So go it did and I've had a cool scar ever since then to mark the occasion.

But as I've aged, apparently the skin over my eyes has puffed and sagged just a tad.  Only the thing is, not so much on that left side, the one that had the major surgery. 

So, yup, that eye lift is enhancing my asymmetry...and my left side youthfulness...I dig it.

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

 

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Come on in...the Water's Fine

And this is why I should always bring a friend for my kid when we go swimming.


Me:  "Is it cold?"

Little guy:  "It's fine, mom.  You'll get used to it."


I go down one step.  It's not even close to being fine.


Me:  "It is cold."

Little guy:  "You're a wimp."


I go down one more step.


Little guy:  "Jump in, mom."

Me:  "I know, I really should."


He gets out of the pool and checks his phone.


Me:  "Did you get a call?"

Little guy:  "Nope."


AND HE PUSHES ME IN!!!!


Me:  "Oh, this is nice!"

Little guy:  "You're welcome."

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Animaters

So this happened at my house.


We were talking about some animated cartoon or whatnot and the amazing work of animators, and all of a sudden my husband hops up, runs out in the yard to his garden, runs back in, and...

"I like animaters on my sandwich!!" as he proudly held up two lovely ripe 'maters (as we call 'em).

Insert collective groan here.

This is part of my Hallway Project.

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Kid's Got Mad Skills

The little guy and I went to the Austin Mini Maker Faire today.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  And I swear it was set up to show off my kid's mad skills (or at least his ability to pick up a mad skill at a moment's notice).

The first thing we just had to do was juggle.  We were shown how to do it and the kid started juggling within about a minute.  I struggled and struggled and finally got it.  And after repeating my success a few times my skills completely vanished.

The second thing we had to do were hula hoops.  The kid picked one up and was able to instantly do a trick I'd taught him back when I was taking lessons.  I gingerly tried a bit of hula hooping, had moderate success and set it down.  After all, hula hoops tend to give me blood clots (true story). 

The third thing we he had to do were unicycles.  He jumped right on one and took off.  There was no talking mom in to this one.  No way.  Not unless I had full protective gear and an even lower deductible on my health insurance.

Oh, and my mom's car went to the Faire, too.  She's now the proud owner of a fabulous art car...painted right there!

Good times were had!

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The Things I Say

For the life of me I have no idea why I'm still surprised by the things I find myself saying.

The little guy had been assigned a lovely sketch assignment many weeks ago.  It was due the next day.  What does he do when I nag him (again) about it?

He toots.


Me:  "Art, not fart."


I think that has a future as a bumper sticker.

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About to be cooped up...and so excited about it!!!

So we've got chickens in our future.  I was skeptical at first.  I love animals, really I do so very much.  But chickens?  They've never seemed particularly lovable to me.  And as animals we'd be welcoming into our lives, I really wanted them to fall into the lovable category.

Now, my experience with chickens is admittedly limited.  I've eaten them, sure.  I've had a male chick in my classroom briefly (we named him "nugget" if that gives you any idea of how much of a fan I was).  I've even seen them from a bit of a distance at friends' houses.  But I just wasn't feeling the love. 

Well, all that changed yesterday.  The kid and I were going into my dad's back yard when we heard some rustling.


Little guy:  "Hey, it's a chicken...in their yard!"

Me:  "What?!?!"

Little guy:  "Look, a chicken."


And, by golly, there was, indeed, a chicken!

My little guy went upstairs to let them know and I set about figuring out just what to do about this lost chicken.  I followed it around.  It followed me around.  I reach out to touch it.  It scampered off.  I got in its path.  It let me touch its back.  I was officially starting to consider liking this sweet chicken.

I decided to be very brave and put my hands on both sides of it.  Everything was OK.  I decided to lift it a few inches off the ground.  Its legs dangled and everything was OK.  I decided to hold it close to me.  It settled right into the embrace.  I was officially starting to fall in like with this sweet chicken. 

I carried the chicken up to the house.  My kiddo walked out when he saw that holding the chicken was totally possible.  I handed him the chicken.  He held the chicken in a gentle hug...and then it pooped!!!  I was officially falling in love with this sweet chicken.


Jump forward a day and I'm sitting at the table and my husband and kid are designing a chicken coop for our back yard.  I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Gosh...boys

Why, oh why is it funny to hug your mom after a really long sweaty bike ride...when your mom is much shorter than you are...and your sweaty and quite stinky armpits rest just perfectly on her shoulders?  (OK, I suppose that's obvious.)

And as I'm running about the kitchen screaming, "STOP!" he's having the very best of times.  And then here's how it goes.


Me:  "If you try to hug me again before you take a shower, I'll stop making this sandwich for you."

And he comes closer.

Me:  "I'll lick the bread."

And he comes closer.

Me:  Well, let's just say I had to pull out all the verbally gross threats that a twelve-year-old boy would.

And he stops.


Until his sandwich is done.  And he thanks me so sweetly.  And then right after I turn around he sneaks a quick, sweaty, stinky hug.

Sigh...that kid adores me, there's no doubt about it.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Forgetful? Crazy? Nope.

I have the feeling my family thinks I've entered "crazy old lady" status.  At least "forgetful old lady".  The thing is I seem to have a habit of asking for the same info over and over.  Things like, "Do you have wrestling practice tomorrow?" "Is karate happening tonight?" "Who did you say is coming over?"  And it's actually not that I don't remember, really it's not.  And I seriously doubt I'm crazy.  I'm simply distracted by all the stuff I'm up to...drawing, painting, and writing...oh, my!

In the car today I was told, "You need to not ask something unless you're absolutely, positively sure that you've never asked it before."  Um, if I had any inkling that I'd asked it before I wouldn't have asked it again.

So I'm self diagnosing myself as having "distracted old lady" status.  My family will be so relieved that I'm not crazy or forgetful.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Tricky, Trendy, and Warm(ish)

Random bit of info.

Putting skinny jeans on top of thermal underwear...it's actually even harder than it sounds.

But so totally worth it when you have to be outside for hours in windy temps in the 30ºs and having to look fashionably trendy.

OK, on with your day now.


P.S. Taking said skinny jeans and thermals back off at the end of the day is much easier than putting them on.

Click here to check out my gallery.

Consequences of Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry reared its ugly head today.  And I was with only one of my children.

I was in a dressing room at a store trying on some skinny jeans.  These weren't the run of the mill skinny jeans, these were the skinny jeans.  I pulled them off the hanger feeling quite self-assured and optimistic.  I pulled the left leg on, then the right.  Only the right just barely made it over my heel.  Now I don't have an abnormally enlarged right heel, for some reason that's exactly where they decided to place the big plastic security thingie.  I pulled the pants up to my waist...well, almost...and it became perfectly clear that those jeans were not meant to be worn by the likes of me.

So the process went in reverse.  All was fine until it was time for that right heel.  I was STUCK!  I got my phone out, considered calling my big guy who was actually the reason we were at the store, decided against it, and gave it one more HUGE tug. Success.


On the way home....

Me:  "You don't wear skinny jeans, eh?"

Big guy:  "No."

Me:  "I tried some on when we were there and I couldn't get them off.  I almost called you for help."

Big guy:  "I wouldn't have helped you."

Me:  "You wouldn't have helped me?"

Big guy:  "You would've eventually figured it out."

Me:  "Gee."

Big guy:  "Maybe I would've helped you if you didn't always side with my brother when we're fighting."


Sibling rivalry rearing its ugly head.  I love those guys of mine!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Silver Linings

Picked my kid up from a sleep over early this afternoon.  He looked blissfully tired...and a bit snarfly, a little heavy on the booger side, stuffed up.

As we drove home I noticed him leaning to the side just a bit.  That lean that makes me think I should roll my window down sooner than later.  That lean that always seems to make my kid ever so happy.


Little guy:  "This is the best thing ever!"

Me:  "What?"  I go ahead and begin rolling my window down.

Little guy:  "I can totally stink up your car and I don't even have to smell it!"


That's my guy, cup always half full, always finding the silver lining...even to mocos verdes.

Click here to purchase this painting.

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