You can make it but it doesn't mean she'll like it

I finally finished this knitted daisy pacifier clip from Susan B. Anderson's book Itty-bitty Nursery this weekend and wanted to try it out. Currently Kennedy Jane prefers her fingers and can actually get her entire fist in her mouth on some days. We are hoping that she will still be able to do this when she's an adult as we're sure she'll be a hit at any party (or on David Lettermen) when she shows off this trick. With Becca's help we tried to get pictures of the little daisy. Of course we wanted the pacifier in her mouth but she didn't find the shape or taste very good. In fact, she teared up. And in the interest of not having a crying baby we just set the daisy on her belly. Here she is being more cooperative. And we're back to the fingers - but thanks little Kennedy for being so cooperative and making your auntie happy. Don't worry, I'll have many more silly handmade things for you in the future to pose with. I'm sure she'll run and hide when I come to the house with a granny square vest - ha ha ha. Okay, so back to my day job - lots of painting this week. Stay tuned - I got lots to show you and hopefully inspire you with. And, I'm sooo glad the kids are back in school - yay for school!!!!

Etsy Treasury

Etsy is such a fun online place for creatives. Since re-opening my shop in May, I've really had fun meeting other watercolor artists and seeing the amazingly fabulous art - from knitting and clothing to - whatever you can imagine. Just this morning I was included in a Etsy Treasury that will go until Monday the 18th. It's a place where another Etsy member pulls together some of their favorites as an advertisement for the weekend. I'm so honored to be picked and placed on a treasury. You can look at it here.

Seeing

Recently I found this quote.


We don't see things as they are.
We see things as we are.
Anais Nin


I painted some orange geraniums around it and pinned it to the bulletin board over my computer. I really need to remember this because so many of my so called bad or "lemony" days start in my head. Look at the case of my cat's "hurt" paw in this past post. Even in painting, I often am hardest on my work when I'm hardest on myself. Seeing has so many layers. As we travel through life we learn that our vision can change and will. And as an artist I know that if I sit still long enough and see what I'm painting. I can see layers of color and light that I've never noticed before. Last year when I was teaching a friend to watercolor paint, I emphasized to her how important it was to look at the subject matter and notice, see. There are various shades of color in something that looks solid. Shadows are like that too. Colors reflect on to each other, and when you see dark shadows they aren't necessarily black, but full of dark color. My girlfriend told me that after that lesson, she saw things around her differently because she was paying attention.
Like I've been saying from the beginning, painting can teach us so much more than how to put a pretty picture on paper.

Books or Fresh Flowers?

Like most people during these rough economic times, funds are tight and I'm having to decide between two of my favorite things to buy - fresh flowers OR books. Lately books have been winning. Over the last few months I've been buying books that just plain make me happy. And, all of them have pictures. In fact as I was sitting down with my newest book from ABE and AMAZON. I realized that when I get a new book this is how I enjoy the moment. It's a wonderful ceremony that usually happens around 4 pm in the afternoon.
  • Prepare hot sweet drink - chai tea, coffee or hot chocolate
  • Music - lately it's been the soundtrack from Pride and Prejudice which is gorgeous!
  • Get comfortable on my lovely couch
  • Open the book and look at the pictures first. In fact, I do that with everything I "read". I think pictures say great deal about a book and I tend to remember a book more from its pictures than its words.
  • Then if time allows, I go back through and read what I find most interesting first. There is no pressure to go through these books in one sitting. I usually don't. They sit on my coffee table waiting for me on another afternoon. That's the beauty of good "picture" books. For me, these books are great inspiration even if they aren't about watercolor or art in general.
Here are few of my top favs for the summer:
Simply Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy I bought this book solely based on the beautiful color and the title contained "French" so how could I pass it up. I was not disappointed. By the way when I sit on my couch and go through this sewing book I have a French playlist on my iTunes which accompanies this book perfectly - think Edith Piaf's Sous le ciel de Paris . I'm taken away to another part of the world where simplicity and elegance are so different. The pictures are perfect and oh so French. I even love looking at the instructions which are drawn out. Eventually I'll make something from this book, but if I never do it won't really matter.

The next book I bought because of her decor, funkiness and great fabrics Amy Butler's MidWest Modern has 224 pages of amazing pictures. I was unsure about buying this book at first, simply because her style is not similar to mine. But again, no regrets. As with every Amy Butler book, I've found that her attention to detail, her style and passion ooze from every page and I'm inspired to trust my own instincts be it in painting, decorating or just plain being. For some reason, I like listening to the Gipsy Kings when going through this book.

Just a few weeks ago I was going through my old Victoria magazines - (ones I had saved from the early 90s). I ran across a feature about a Midwest watercolor artist Alice Schille. She never married, but dedicated her life to being an artist, teaching and traveling. This is a rarity for a woman in the early 1900's. So I went to my favorite online bookseller Abe Books and searched for an old art book of hers. A note here about Abe Books - I find this an excellent website for used books and older books. Often I pay more for shipping than I do for the actual book. This is great for someone who is watching their cash flow. The only thing is that the books sometimes take a little longer to get to you. If you aren't in a hurry, this is a great place to shop. I find lots of the older art books on line and haven't been disappointed