Happy discoveries

Happy weekending to you all!

Today and every day wishing you many happy discoveries along the way.

I just added two new prints to my shop, Across the Sky and Dawn. 

Please remember to go here and vote for my Lovely Clusters shop, huge thank yous!!

{this moment} central park

{this moment} - a Friday ritual for the spring and summertime. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Helping me to slow down, take notice and enjoy these long warm days.

*inspired by soulemama

Lovely Clusters

Have you visited Lovely Clusters? The site is really just chock full of beautiful things, so soft and feminine...

I love how you can find things that you are interested in on the site in "lovely clusters" of similar color-ways, what a simple yet unique idea!

I have loved having my work as a part of Lovely Clusters for quite a few months, and now Rachel Follett, the creator of Lovely Clusters is running a little contest on the site... a popularity contest of sorts. Basically the shop with the most "likes" wins, so if you could help me out by going here, and just clicking that you "like" my shop I'd be very happy, and probably even like you more although I already like you all lots!

Soho

This whole week I have a dear friend visiting us here in Brooklyn. We met during the first week of our freshman year of college at Skidmore, and each being art majors from Philadelphia, we became fast friends. After college we both moved to NYC where she got into fashion, most recently she has been working for 7 For All Mankind based out in LA for years. So, it is always a treat when we visit each other, now often with babies in tow!

Yesterday we spent most of the day walking around in Soho, shopping and having lunch, at a yummy cafe that we used to frequent when we lived in Manhattan. We went to the Bloomingdales on Broadway and had some smokey eye make-up done, something that I haven't done for years! There I discovered that this is my new favorite eye liner, seriously good stuff by Laura Mercier, it will be taking me into fall and beyond.
Next stop was Callalilai where I was loving not only the gorgeous fabrics but also the transporting hand painted walls of their flagship store...

Then it was on to AllSaints, a British company with a huge flagship store in Soho with more stunning decor...

They have really flattering long cardigans and I am seriously considering these boots for fall...

But somehow I can't bring myself to start buying cool weather clothes yet, maybe because it is still so beastly hot and humid here!

The window shopping was so inspiring, and we had such fun just wandering around the cobbled Soho streets. We both have so many memories here, and Soho has changed so much from the art district that it was in the late 1990's when we moved here. I had my first after college job here then, right on Broadway at a non-profit gallery called Thread Waxing Space. Where I mostly did mailings and answered phones!
It is fun in Soho to see how over-the-top some stores go with their decor to attract shoppers, it is always interesting and inspiring, and there is such a deer theme going on these days everywhere...

We also visited the Calypso outlet store, a stop that I never miss when I am in Soho. It is the Calypso tropical chic aesthetic but all discounted, I have gotten so many amazing pieces there over the years. All in all we had a fun, exhausting, day spent with friends. One of those days that reminds me to appreciate this amazing city in a whole new way.

Across the Sky

 Across the Sky

 As a freelance decorative painter Frank's work schedule is quite variable, sometimes he is around a lot and we can share child care equally, while each having time to do our art. Other times he works long hours leaving the house before the kids or I wake. For the past few weeks he has been working on an outdoor mural job in New Jersey, one of those jobs where he leaves early, which leaves me practically no time to myself, let alone time to work in the studio.
But.
I am always amazed at how even during these times when I am most busy and constantly caring for my children if I allow myself to stay open to it...inspiration finds me. I always have my pen and paper near so that I can harness the ideas when they come and these days have been full of them. So full in fact that when Frank took the kids out this weekend so that I could have a solid few hours to paint, I dove in quickly and was so satisfied. I painted with a fire that left me feeling deeply refreshed!
I've got 5 paintings in progress right now, and I finished this one in one day.
The birds are soaring and they are taking me with them, Across the Sky. I worked on it quickly and deliberately, then took the painting out to our front stoop where I sat and watched the kids have a water fight with the neighbor children.

I'm looking forward to sharing the other pieces that I have in progress with a few other sneak peeks as I'll be wrap things up in my studio at the end of this week, in preparation for a couple of trips that we'll be taking. We'll be traveling for most of August, first visiting family in Asheville, North Carolina and then our big trip to England to visit my brother and his family (and meet his new baby!!). I'm always excited for the change of perspective that travel brings!

[Painting of the Week] Dawn

Dawn

Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon.

Here is another of my favorites from the past few years, and one that is very close to my heart. I made this painting when I was newly pregnant for the first time, 7 years ago this month. I was so full of hope, excitement and joy, but also hesitant, fearful and really struggling with embracing the unknown.

I still see all of that in this piece.

Sending you rich blessings for this Monday!

{this moment} window shopping

{this moment} - a Friday ritual for the spring and summertime. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Helping me to slow down, take notice and enjoy these long warm days.

*inspired by soulemama


Happy Weekending!

Ways to spend a too-hot-day

These recent days have been long, and hot here in Brooklyn, way too hot to spend too much time outside. We've been running out on errands, to the store, the farmer's market, then retreating back indoors to the relief of our air conditioning. There we have been spending most of our time. Yesterday, I started thinking that in a way it might as well be wintertime with the amount of time that we have been spending holed up inside. It is harder for me to think of how to spend our time when we are stuck indoors but we do have some creative tricks here, so I thought I'd share a list of some of our recent favorite ways to pass the time, all of which I think could work equally well in this heat wave or in a snow bound winter....

1. Sunprints
Making Sunprints is something that even very young children can do. It works very well in the summertime as the sun is so strong and you get your results very quickly.

We grab a bunch of things that we think will make a fun impression....

Then we start experimenting, placing things in the sun on the photo-sensitive paper, and the results are so beautiful. It is hard to go wrong with Sunprints, the kid's excitement really makes me feel like the coolest mom ever.

2. Window Stickers

This turns any window into a fun surface for imaginative play. We use The Original Colorforms Set along with a combination of sets like this Mudpuppy Room to Play Play Scene Sticker Set. Basically any reusable vinyl sticker will do.

I keep them all in an old shoe box so that I can pull them out when we are searching for something to do, today the kids created a circus.

3. Video time
We do enjoy good videos and lately we have been really into the series of videos that were released last year by BBC called Life.
Each one hour episode is about a different part of the animal kingdom, mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, etc....and my little animal obsessed boy pretty much thinks they are the best thing ever, in fact so do the rest of us, the cinematography is beyond amazing.
We've also been going back to our very favorite video series The Little Travelers, about a real life world traveling family, the kids love it!

4. Beauty Shop
It is hard for me to get a good shot of this because I am usually the center part of the action when we do this...

Usually I'll suggest this when I am tired, since the main part of "beauty shop" is usually me sitting on the floor while the kids brush and put hair clips in my hair (and I close my eyes), we also dress up and do each other's nails during beauty shop time. This is another winner in our home, and here is how my hair looked after our last beauty shop time...

Well, there are some of our ways to stay sane indoors! Tomorrow we are making an escape to the beach where at least we'll be able to beat the heat in the water, before returning home.
xo

Pure Green Living

I woke up this morning to find that my painting Message was featured in Pure Green Living Magazine, via Lovely Clusters. What a treat, and just glancing through the magazine I can tell that I'm going to have to go back and spend some time with a cup of tea there. The aesthetic and inspiration of Pure Green Living's stylish eco-living is so appealing.

Plus on the page after my painting was featured I found this quote:

"If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it"

-Toni Morrison

Love it!

One Violinist

*taken with my cell phone last week

A man with a violin was walking through a huge forest. The sun was shining on him and the fresh air made him feel great. It was a beautiful morning. He was a famous musician in his town. He played the violin. Sometimes he played his violin in the palace for the king.
Just walking in the forest tired him, but it was very peaceful. Tall trees, flowers, squirrels, birds - the forest looked like paradise.
He sat on a rock to rest and a bird came and sat on his shoulder. He picked up his violin and played it. Do you know what happened? The bird on his shoulder disappeared. The violinist was so surprised.
He felt very strange, but he tried again. Then the flower by the rock disappeared. Now he thought that it was fun, and kept on playing.
The stream, the trees, the squirrels, the flowers, the birds, and everything else disappeared, except the rocks. It was like a dessert. He played again. The sun disappeared. Then he played once more and he vanished without a trace.
Just the violin on the rock was left.

-Daniel Cho

This poetic story is just one of the beautiful writings by our friend Dan who died last week, he was a musician on tour with Regina Spektor. I love the way that this story describes pieces of the artistic process, to me it reads like an allegory, but it is also layered with meaning now in light of his death.
Dan's life was much too short, there was so much left to come from him creatively, and so much living to do with his young family. There is much at work here that we are struggling to understand.
Articles were written about his accident, and his life, here and here.

[Painting of the Week] Premonition

Premonition

I am stepping lightly with myself right now, we are sifting through the heaviness of loosing our friend last week, along with the departure of dear friends of ours who are moving to New Mexico this week. Goodbyes are so hard for me!
What has been a great blessing through all of it is that I have felt God's closeness so much in the past few days, especially at our friend's memorial which was stunning...an amazing testament to God's glory and to a beautiful creative life. Our friend was a musician, and I plan to share the lyrics to one of his songs here this week. He was richly talented.

Today I give you Premonition, another in my series of my favorite paintings that I've made over the past few years. This one is about a feeling that I have had many times, of knowing that something was "off", it is usually only the shadow of a feeling that I can chose to recognize, or to ignore. There is always a moment of choice with it.
This is one of my large paintings, the actual piece is body sized, 5 feet long by 4 feet high. When I worked in our warehouse studio I enjoyed working in that size to express a feeling, there is something about the way that your body responds to a human sized painting in person that is physically satisfying to me and I find that it effects the viewer in a different way than smaller more intimate pieces. I also love the way that I feel physically when I am painting this large. I enjoy working small so much in my little home studio these days, but I do look forward to time when I can work large again!

Wishing you a glorious start to your week!

Double Rainbow

This video makes me so, so, happy. I want to cry with him...

The hearts of flowers

While I really like to keep this space about the most positive, inspiring, parts of my life I also do always write here with an honesty that I appreciate from others. The affirmation, connection and respect that I have felt for others who share openly, even about difficult topics, on their blogs shows a level of bravery. I believe that this bravery builds connection as we learn that each one of us is not alone, that each one of us in sharing our experiences become more alike than different. It is in this spirit that I want to share something difficult with you here.

This past Tuesday we got the news that a friend of ours died in an accident. This is a friend of ours from our church, a man who is our age, and a husband and a father. I am friends with his wife and I was present at the birth of their daughter as their labor support Doula.

The first few days I was hardly able to think about it, it was easy to stay busy with the kids and push thoughts out of my mind, and then slowly, the reality stared to sneak in. Now, the kids and I are at my parent's home in Philadelphia for a week so I have stepped out of my normal home routine and into a space where I can not and do not want to hide from my thoughts any longer.

One of the things that hits me the most about the loss of this friend is that I experienced one of life's great joys with him, the birth of his daughter. His wife's labor was a long one, and he and I worked as a team supporting her through those long hours. I saw how deeply he cared for her as he patiently and gently massaged her back through each contraction, and I saw the worry and the consternation on his face as he watched her struggling with her labor. We helped each other through that long labor and I watched him be strong for her even when there was fear on his face at times, until finally his wife brought his little daughter into the world. I was standing across from him as the baby emerged and I so clearly remember looking over at him and seeing his eyes glassy with tears and his face absolutely radiant with awe and wonder at seeing his child for the first time.

The stunning glory of that moment.

That is what I am remembering.

This afternoon I was able to finally have some alone time, to wander through my Mother's lush garden where I lost myself in simply taking pictures of her flowers. Somehow that was the best, most soothing thing that I could do. I took pictures of the center, the heart of the flower, using the camera to probe.

Grief is so hard, mysterious, and it feels wide. I have grieved before, and each time I feel that when I start to grieve I am coming back to the same place. The same feelings. The same questions. The same fears. But each time it is different too, each layer of learning is there already, each lesson that came before is like a marker. And yet, even though it feels familiar it feels so rough, so raw.

So that is where I am right now my friends. I am looking into the heart of it.

The heart of it.

[Painting of the Week] Harmony of the Microcosm

Harmony of the Microcosm

Today my Painting of the Week is one from a whole series of Lotus paintings that I did a few years ago. I had such fun painting the floating Lotus form here that repeats throughout the series. It seems almost to move as it becomes a character within the environment of the piece. As I painted this one I was thinking about small parts within a whole, a microcosm, and how everything in our world is interrelated from the smallest particle. Each small part is important to the whole and relates with its own symmetry and beauty. I had so much fun painting these Lotuses, each petal blending into the next, becoming a whole within the energy of the mark. You'll see more from my Lotus series in the coming weeks.
Prints are here.

Happy Monday!

{this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual for the spring and summertime. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Helping me to slow down, take notice and enjoy these long warm days.

*inspired by soulemama

A tale of Blueberries

My Grandparents owned and lived on a blueberry farm in the mountains of North Carolina. They called their blueberries their "blueberry patch", though it was actually a couple of acres of their large property. The blueberries were part retirement hobby, part huge fun, and part lots of work for my Grandfather, but he loved it! And so did we. When we would visit in the summertime we'd spend our days swimming in their pond and then running over to the "blueberry patch" to stuff our mouths with blueberries fresh off the bush. A few days a week all season they would open it up to other people who would pay to come and pick their own blueberries on the farm.
I still always look forward to blueberry season, they are still one of my favorite fruits. The kids and I can sit down and eat a whole pint fresh from the farmer's market in one sitting! And of course I can't eat them without thinking of my Grandparents and all of our sweet times. They are gone, but my aunt still runs the farm and the blueberry patch. She emailed me the other day to let me know that the picking season is in full swing right now and that hopefully there will still be some fruit left on the bushes when we visit the farm in August. 
I really hope so too.

Scenes from our long weekend

I love this season!