hitting the reset button-

(new work on old wood)

A shift has occurred in my head (and in my heart) and I was finally able to get back to work this week. The real, creative and healing work of putting together colors and images, playing with familiar themes and solving visual puzzles which open doors. I was here a few weeks ago talking about experimenting with the 'hot box' but that was a creative disaster which left me feeling frustrated and uninspired.  In hindsight I can see that trying to figure out something new just compounded my feeling of being displaced, lost and in limbo.  But a trip to my parents house, a few pieces of very old barn wood and the fact that we close on our new home in Michigan in just two short weeks helped trigger the reset button this week and I got back to cutting, gluing and painting with r& f pigment sticks and oil bars.  Once I have a few pieces together I will find a way to hook together some extensions cords and do all of my hot wax work out the back door in the stairwell. 

 And yes, I did say our new house in Michigan!  We did not end up going with the farmhouse I mentioned a few posts back for a variety of reasons and we were getting worried about having to move into a 2nd rental while we continued to search in this market with very low inventory.  But then, things changed in the blink of an eye and we found a really good, solid house with just the right amount of space inside (including a 1st floor studio), a wood burning fireplace, and a fenced garden on one acre in Ann Arbor.  It is by far the newest home we have ever lived in and it will take a bit of work to make it seem like our own after being in hundred year old houses for almost two decades but we both knew as soon as we walked in that was the right house. We close on the house Memorial Day weekend but we will not officially move until mid-June when the kiddos finish up the school year.  The good news is that my studio space will be up and running on day one so that amid the unpacking, the tearing out of carpet and the painting I will have a space breathe work.  So excited.

big love...

Chuck was invited to a very small gathering/fundraiser with Jeff Tweedy last night and I (half jokingly) asked him to give Jeff a hug for me.  Much to my surprise (and delight) he did just that and texted me this photo from the event.  In the many times I've seen Tweedy play with Wilco and on his own he has come across as such a down to earth, normal guy with a poetic soul and I can't think of anything better than this image of big love.  Chuck had the opportunity to talk with him a bit and heard him play a few tunes but I think the hug was the best part.

  Have a beautiful weekend people : )

subterranean homesick blues...

::temporary workspace::

Greetings from the garden apartment that we are temporarily calling home.  As you may or may not know 'garden' is a nicer way to say 'basement' and I must admit it has been a big adjustment for me moving from the gorgeous old victorian to this tiny underground abode (can you see my x's on the calendar???).  But after two full weeks here I am finding my rhythm with the dogs, the noise, the lack of fresh air and limited light, one drawer kitchen and having to do 5 peeps worth of laundry at the laundrymat AND I decided it's time to stop complaining and start painting. We have one table which serves as the dining, homework, computer, folding and everything table and so I can't really work on that but today I borrowed the small folding table (shown above) from my old neighbor and dear friend with the goal of getting to back to painting.  The lack of ventilation is a concern so I decided I would take our time here in the apartment to work with the hot box C built for me last year.  It works at a much lower temperature than my skillets and with the window open and a fan blowing I think it will be OK.  I have been wanting to experiment with creating monoprints on the hotbox and this seems like a golden opportunity.  Today I'm off to plant tomato seeds with 60 2nd graders but tomorrow I will set up shop and get started.  And speaking of shops...I am offering 10% off and free shipping thru April 30th in my Etsy shop : )  

hi & bye & happy friday...

Night Vision 

Well, the time has come to say goodbye for a few weeks while we wrap things up here at the house.  We close on April 1st but we are heading off on another house hunting trip in Michigan and will move half of our things into storage there. When we return, we will move the things we need to live into the small apartment that will be our home for the next three months. It will be an adventure to be sure and I'm not 100% certain what comes next but I am know that we are making the right decisions and have to trust that things will work out as they should (still waiting for news on the old farmhouse...).   I had forgotten that the movers had to come and crate my marble table tops before the actual move and so last night I had to pack up my studio a few days earlier than I had planned.  The photo above is my quiet studio last night and a new painting titled 'Night Vision'.  I love the way the butterflies move against the velvety black background and the image of beauty in the darkness. Once we are settled into our temporary home I am hoping to set up a make shift studio table so I can work while the kids are in school.  I expect to be back here sharing new work (and hopefully some news on a new home) by the middle of April.  Thanks for reading...

Things aren't always black and white...

Things Aren't Always Black And White

4.5"x6.75"

Hello, hello.  The title of this painting is art imitating life...which seems to be the theme around here these days.  We took our little guy on a quick trip to Michigan to check out a house we hope will be our next home.  It was a long couple of hours driving there in the snow, lots of looking and talking, a great dinner with my parents and an early-morning-white-knuckle-drive-back in the snow.  The fact that the house is not technically for sale right now and a few other factors make our offer on the place a maybe at best.  I don't want to say more and jinx anything but we are hoping for a counter offer by the end of the week and are keeping our fingers crossed.  If you want to cross your fingers too or send a little good juju this way I would really appreciate it!!!  

New Night Swimmers and some thoughts on us...

Night Swimmer No. 4 & 5

So, how are you today? I've been thinking about you a lot lately.  Over the past few weeks I've had a number of back and forth emails and extended communications with some of you.  One from over seas, one from the Golden State (which holds a special place in my heart) and one from the east coast which touched me very deeply and prompted me to write this post.  When I first discovered encaustics, I painted for almost two years before I showed my work to anyone and never even considered putting it out into the world.  I was painting for me, you know, as a way to let the inside out, as a way to make sense of the joy, sorrow and confusion that came with finding my way, as a way to see myself, outside of myself...if that makes any sense.  But then, one day,  a friend was visiting and he suggested that I might want to do something with the massive amount of work I was creating and so I looked to Etsy.  I didn't have much experience on my computer, or with my camera but I figured I didn't have anything to lose.  Little did I know how much I had to gain.  Putting my work out to people this way is not as raw and personal as say, someone singing a song on stage with an acoustic guitar, but it is putting my self, my thoughts, my struggles out there and it was a very difficult thing to get past the feelings of insecurity.  I'm also a bit of a perfectionist (ahem) and so accepting and embracing the fluid and imperfect nature of working with wax also took a bit of stumbling through thoughts of 'is this good enough?'.   But much to my repeated surprise and delight so many of you have understood and embraced my work.  Over these past seven years of painting and selling my work I have come to realize how universal many of our truths are and how many of us share the same questions.  I am so very grateful to all of you who have supported my efforts on this blog, on etsy, at Nahcotta, in Taproot and the Sommerset Studio publications.  I still paint for me, and I paint my own truths, but I do so knowing that I am not alone and that I owe all of you a big group hug.

new work-

rooted in dreams::playing catch up

full circle

spring fling

Happy Friday peeps...what a crazy week it's been.  There has been lots of packing and painting and a fair share of illness is working it's way through this house.  But now it's Friday and everyone that made it out this morning is home, the new paintings are done, the packing is done (for tonight anyways) and now it's time to put together a bit of dinner that upset tummys and sore throats can handle. Maybe we can rally for a game or maybe it will be a movie night.  Whatever it is, I am just so, so happy that no one has to wake up early and that no one has anywhere to be tomorrow but here.