oh hello again

Here are some small encaustic paintings I did a while back.  I'm still experimenting with different techniques with the wax, and meanwhile am back into oil painting.  Wax and cold weather aren't as compatible as I had hoped.  I'll start posting some more oil paintings tomorrow.  I'm not outright promising a new 'nearly daily painting', but secretly just between you and me, that's what I'm hoping for.  So, I need to get to painting tonight, just as soon as I tear myself away from harpoon lagoon.

Happy Easter

Dear sadly neglected blog.
We had a lovely Spring brunch yesterday. We are lucky enough to have fabulous cooks as friends, and had an insanely plentiful potluck spread.

I tried out a sticky bun recipe from the Bon Appetit Cookbook I got from the library. I get nervous with anything that requires flipping after baking, but they were so tasty that any malformations in the flipping went unnoticed.

Where is the rain?

I've been eyeing rain boots for some time. I walk to work and am generally trudging around the city more often than most.. and it's rainy here. Or at least it was... until I splurged on my super fancy Hunter Wellies. I love a classic green rain boot. Polka dots and plaid is fine mind you, but not for me. Not really. The classic wellie may now be high fashion due to Kate Moss Glastonbury Music Festival circa 2006, but I can't bring myself to wear rain boots in dry weather. That's ridiculous. Like the Queen, I will await a proper wet and blustery day to sport my wellies. Let's just hope it's soon.
The cold spell has also been poor company for encaustic painting. I can only have one heating element on in the shed at one time before blowing the breaker. I can either keep myself warm, or the wax, not both. I did manage to finish two small pieces and nearly finish a larger one before my toes froze.
It has been good knitting weather however...I'm on my third scarf and hope to break into hats or gasp sweaters next.

Candy Rings

6 x 6" oil on birch panel

I've always said that plastic is my favorite gemstone.
These small paintings were done last week. I'd been thinking of painting my plastic ring collection for some time. I didn't realize it would be so much fun. They remind me of little pieces of candy.
Note to self- always do at least 2 paintings of an idea.

Mail Art

My friend Leslie is an avid Mail Artist (that with a capital 'A' Leslie in case you're reading), and recently organized an exhibit of mail art at Central Library. I wasn't familiar with mail art or ATCs at all until I met Leslie, but had fun making the two collages above to send in for the library exhibit. There is indeed something wonderful about art sent via the postal system. I used to write long letters to friends with comic strips and elaborate gift packages. Now it seems I can't even type out an email. Apparently email is outdated now anyhow, and while texting is growing on me slightly, it's no match for snail mail. If it's not too late for resolutions, I think I ought to send more mail in 2008. I'd also like to receive more mail, other than the credit card offer, free tanning session variety...
Portland's DIY alert blogs about the library's mail art show here, and you can view the entire show online here.

2008

Here are some tamales to keep you satiated while I get back into painting mode. We made them for a Christmas Eve party using a recipe from my favorite Mexican cookbook.. I've always wanted to make tamales. It was time consuming, but with good friends and old school rap music to dance along to, it was a blast and they turned out delicious!
Now that the New Year is here it's time to get back to art. I've been busy knitting, sewing and baking the past months. Crumy weather seems to bring out the domestic in me and makes getting out into the art studio/shed more difficult. The weather is still crumy granted, but the wax and paint are finally calling me so stay tuned...

Fairy Nice to Meet You

Number one on my niece's wish list to Santa this year, was a 'squishable' fairy doll that she could sleep with. Let me just say that as a child that would tear out brand name toy ads from the Sears catalogue to adhere to my own wish list (I couldn't risk any confusion..), I was impressed with her lack of materialism.

My sister couldn't find a soft fairy doll anywhere and efforts to turn up a plain rag doll to turn into a fairy were also futile. That's when I said 'geez, I could make a fairy doll.' How hard can it be? I made a rag doll with my Grandma Lilly once...

Three days later and much cursing.. (I think in hindsight I merely watched Grandma Lilly make the doll)...this is the result. I'm quite pleased with it. Ok there were some unforseen details. The cute round face I carefully embroidered underwent some cosmetic changed when the head was sewn together. The cute pouty lips ended up on her throat, and the little chin I embroidered became a necklace. The hands are a tad club-like, and as my sister noted, she has some slight edema in her left foot. For a first effort fairy doll however, I'm damn proud.

My sister designed the lovely dress. I helped by sewing closed the arm holes, which were later torn out. We also learned that while sewing elastic you have to pull the elastic taut if you want it to maintain elasticity after you attach the skirt. I think I heard Grandma Lilly laugh at us and shake her head upon this discovery.

The wings are on order from Ebay and then she will be complete. If my niece does not worship this doll and sleep with it everynight, my sister has promised to box it up and pull it out at her 30th birthday to make her feel appropriately guilty.

P.S. The cookies are done the cookies are DONE! phew....