Big purple flowers

Spray painting with stencils and objects has become my new obsession.
First, I sprayed a selection of keys.

Which was cool, but I wasn’t sure where I would go with this.
So I grabbed red paint and added a few hearts, but that seemed dumb so I made lots of hearts.

And the more I looked at this mass of hearts the more I saw big Dahila-type flowers.

And the finished result makes me ridiculously happy.

Martin Luther King from a 5 year old perspective

As an adult, I know his story, I’ve heard his famous speeches, and I would say I have a very good idea his importance to our culture and history. This past week my 5 year old twins had been learning about MLK and we’ve had interesting conversations as they have brought home their daily projects.
Here are some of their answers:
-According to Jack, “He was a boy who wanted to play with his friends but their mom and dad said no. When I asked why he couldn’t play Clara said “it’s because his skin was tanned, and my skin is tan too and it would be rude if I couldn’t play with my friends because of my tan.”

-From Jack, “it’s not nice to not like kids because of how they look.”

-From Clara “God made us all and we are different and if we aren’t nice to others, we are not being nice to God.”

Very simple answers from the perspective of 5 year olds. But sometimes the simplest answers are the best.

keeping my balance

I have started my principal internship at the online high school I work for, along with additional classes for another degree. You’d think completing my master’s degree would be enough but then I realized I had a head start on this next step in my education since many of the classes I’ve taken apply to this degree. Plus, I wasn’t ready to pay back my loans yet

However, it’s a lot of work and if it wasn’t for my supportive husband, I couldn’t do it. This week as I find myself chained to a computer I get the feeling I will be clicking to my grave.
This painting started as a sketch of my pc mouse at work on a notepad.

As I started the painting I could imagine my mouse devouring me and adding some little teeth. It’s a bit darker than my normal and it really reminds me of a Frida Kahlo painting with lots of teeth.

The words around the edge “remember that technology is only a tool”.

A gentle reminder to unplug and take care of me a bit.

Doodle Art Class Week 1

I discovered the free workshops offered by Strathmore Papers this month and signed up to take Traci Bautista’s “doodle’s unleashed” class. It’s very fun, it’s FREE, and it’s pushing me beyond my boundaries. As an artist, I have to paint something, some tangible thing. With this class I’m experimenting with different ways of making marks, creating/using stencils, and trying to let it “flow”.
Here is how my painting evolved.

Step 1: spray painting with liquid watercolor, then adding a few details.

-adding some red

-using oil pastels

-adding more details

-the finished painting

I am pretty happy with the final results, it did evolve into a flower with leaves which inspired me to add the words “bloom, grow”.

Week 2 is coming up!
There is still time to sign up for this free class!

A year of the art journal

I finished my art journal that I had started last summer.
Here’s a quick look through my video.

a room of one’s own

In college I read Virgiania Wolfes’ essay A room of one’s own where she wrote: “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. As I remember the idea was that if women were to be writers they needed to have access to the same resources and space that men were given at the time.
As a mother, I struggle with having something of my own. There are no spaces in my home that are not shared (or invaded) by kids and kid stuff. How many times have I crawled into my lovely bed and find a hot wheels car, stuffed animal or some other toy? My purse, car, coat pockets, and counters all show evidence that a kids was here. The sketch book I carry with me daily has some random drawings and writings done by these two little people I live with.

Of course I love being the mamma to these two, and most of the time I love finding evidence of their presence. But, I don’t have a space to work, to craft, to paint, to leave something out to come back to later. I share an office with my husband who gets a bit cranky when my piles of stuff encroach on his space And, it’s hard to get real crazy with paint when your computer keyboard is right under your canvas.
So, I claimed a spot in my garage. Originally I had a big folding table which was a loaner from a friend of my husband’s, so I kept it covered and tried to be careful. Then today my hubby tells me that someone in the neighborhood had a free dining table on their curb. He immediately regretted mentioning this to me when I got the “crazy gleam” in my eye. So I cajoled him into taking his truck to get it for me.
Introducing Emily’s Studio!

This table is solid wood, and heavy! The neighbor’s kids had already drew on the surface so it’s in perfect state for me. The extra leaf makes a nice little shelf on top of the table.
“Studio” may be a bit lofty considering it’s in the garage next to the furnace and hubby’s jeep. But I decided since I am an “artist” I now have a “studio”.
So now I have a room of my own. That I share with the husband and the garage and the cars and the kids. But I can paint and splatter to my heart’s content.
I also have a space for the kids to sit and paint with me

Farm Sketches

Had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving at the Farm with my family.
The view of the Tetons from their place.

My brother playing the upright base.

The chickens we love. All of us get a lot of enjoyment out of these girls.

From an old bird watching book.

The railroad tracks “in-town”.

My dad’s bluegrass group. Growing up, there was always music in our home. My dad playing, practicing with my grandma. My dad just got back into playing music a couple of years ago and it’s so wonderful to hear him again.

November Journal

I finished up my last journal in December. Here are some of the pages from the end of November. I started out with one of these.

Then I altered it some. Here is the completed journal.

I’ve mentioned before that my journal is more than one thing, I use it for sketching, note taking, planned my research project with it, grocery list. etc..
My Mantra

Bamboo

Inspired by Diego Rivera- sort of.

A sketch of an idea for a Christmas gift for my husband documenting our first year.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas wherever you are!

(template by Ali Edwards)

Christmas Traditions: Gingerbread house

Last year my sweet husband took it upon himself to start the tradition with the kids of building a gingerbread house using graham crackers. Last year at this time I was taking three graduate classes while working full time so I appreciated him taking this on.
This year I was so happy to not have any homework that I took this project on. The key is a hot glue gun. Which worried the kiddies

So first, hot glue the main structure. Including a large block in the center for added stability. (photo by Clara)

Next, cover in frosting. (photo by Clara)

Third, find all the Halloween, and Valentines candy you’ve hidden from the kids and turn them loose.

Make little trees, add clothespin reindeers, a dried up rice crispy treat found in step 3 as a present. And here’s what you end up with.