[i] LoveLife

The piece sort of pictured above is from a really cool little series that is totally worth seeing in person. ;)

T minus 2.

Good morning. I'm still chugging away. Still painting. Still figuring. Still dreaming. Still thinking. Still got about three thousand things to do and then some. Including a couple paintings. Still need to do a lot of writing. And designing. Still not in tears. Still not sure how everything will get accomplished. But, I'm still working on it. I have helpers in these birds. The above images is my current favourite piece. It's a little American Kestrel. Which I learned are one of the most common falcons in North America. Cool little fact. I love the colouring. I love that these little birds get their chicks to throw poop on the walls of their nests so they don't have to sleep in it - that's kind of clever if you ask me (please don't tell my kids). I love that the painting turned out in a combination of styles with lines and newspapers and drips and pretty strokes. And I love that I can finally love that kind of thing. 

That's pretty much about what this art show is about - loving where I started and where I went and where I am. All together. Helping each other out.

Please say you're coming to my art show. My iPod is charged and on and my day is planned to the minute.

Today: Too much to list because tomorrow is unavailable for working. 

GO!

Lines.

Us.

From our session with the magical Maile Wilson.

Bird on a wire.

I don't have time to chat. Today is my last official painting day before my art show and I am going to have to make the most of it. Posts from now until Tuesday will be erratic and I will be hopped up on caffeine and thoroughly enjoying the last couple of days before there just aren't anymore days. Secretly - I really like the adrenaline of this part. I like not knowing if I will be able to pull it all off. I love that in the last few days a show takes on a life of it's own.

The internet has been quiet while the yankees have been enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend. Happy gratitude + turkey out there.

Today: seriously?

GO!

Peace + joy + wings.

Feels good to have a productive painting day like yesterday under my belt. Too bad that I didn't find a groove like that earlier. But, I'll take what I can get. I learned one new trick*. I tackled two paintings. I got three pieces of great news and that helped tremendously. TREMENDOUSLY. I thought it was the coffee, but it wasn't. I can't decide whether to keep posting pics or to just let the paintings unveil themselves at the show (and then later online). Tough call.

It was great to read through all of the comments to see how others find their wings. So cool. Thank you for that. If you're name is listed below - please email me your address so that I can send you a set of PEACE + JOY postcards.

Three cheers for peace and joy!

*NEW TRICK: Oval mop brushes work really, really well for the soft belly feathers of an owl. That's a new trick for me because most of the paintings I do with a very small round brush. OH I KNOW there's gotta be other ways to do it... but it's working for me.

Today: I'm low on chatter because I'm hanging with my girl tribe. I was looking for a babysitter so that I could push through and paint today - but, Penn's teething in a bad way and I figured it would be a tough gig for her and for the sitter. (Although I did get a couple of great offers!) I know the drill here and both girls nap better in their own beds. So they're stuck with me. We're off to do errands and go through Starbucks drive-thru. Sweet. Afternoon post coming. I still have time to squeak out a November Bulletin Board. (I hope.)

ART SHOW UPDATE: 6 days and counting. 1 more painting day. LOTS of design and printing to be tackled. Lots of calls to be made. OH - I could just keep painting and painting - but it looks like there's a lot of other stuff to do. Oh my goodness.

GO!

Giveaway.

I feel like giving away a couple of sets of the Peace + Love postcards. They are amazing and that's coming from a postcard junkie. Leave me a comment if you might like the chance to win a set - and within that comment tell me what you do to find your own wings...

And then there were two.

Two painting days left before my art show. The photo above is OSB (taken by Tammy). It's a project that Tammy + Jared are working on for me and it's a concept that awesome Tamara and I hammered out while she was cutting my hair. Personally, OSB is one of my favourite textures to paint on. It's crazy. And relentless and somehow very forgiving. And really, really heavy. My first love-affair-with-birds painting is on OSB. That would be Mavis. She will be making a show appearance and she is worth seeing in person. She was inspired by a hawk owl that I met at a gala that totally and completely changed the way I felt about birds. Owls to be specific.

THE FIRST ROUND OF PRINTS HAVE SHIPPED. If you ordered a gallery print - it's on the way (unless it was the painting called Joy and then it's being picked up from the printer tomorrow).

Today: I want to drive to a Starbuck's drive thru and order the biggest half sweet vanilla latte - but, I CAN'T WASTE TIME. I better paint. Watch for a surprise post or two in the later afternoon.

ART SHOW UPDATE: 7 days. 2 painting days.

GO!

Baking stars.

We spent the morning making peanutbutter cookies. Actually, Pilot and I did that and poor cranky, grumpy, sad, teething Penn rocked around gnawing on everything and crying her eyeballs out. Which hasn't been fun for my eardrums so it can't be fun for her either. Poor baby. I think a little shopping might help. ;)

Not so good + Great.

Slowly, slowly. Here's a peek at what I wrestled with yesterday. There's a awful lot of work left on this little guy and I am getting where I'm going very, very slowly. It's kind of frustrating. That's the NOT SO GOOD part. I started fast and then I just kind of got stuck in this spotted feather loop that kept going and going and going. And going. And I kept getting lost. I really want to finish this one. He's a Great Horned Owl and I did a little research last night and found out that the average Great Horned Owl has a wing span just under 5 feet and weighs about 3 pounds. I am 5 and a half feet tall and if I weighed 3 pounds I betcha I could fly, too. So there.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS:
What type of lights do I use? Anything that throws light.
Do my canvasses ever get stuck to the easel. Yes, but I just rip them off.
Am I doing a sandpiper? Done.
Would I like a vanilla latte? Yes, please.

Today: making lists and making cookies. It's not a painting day and as the clock ticks it's sort of hurting me not to be painting, but that's too bad I guess. I am searching for a sitter for Thursday to buy my self 6 or 7 more hours. I am crafting up some fun stuff with the ladies and crossing my fingers for long naps because I have a LOT OF SHOW STUFF TO DO and I am starting to panic refuse to get worked up. Where is BabaLuba (my mom) when I need her????

ART SHOW UPDATE: 8 days. Please help me get the word out. I'm doing a terrible job and I need help. (Thanks!)

GO!