Sunshine...

It's sunny and 60 something and although I planned to show these three new pieces in detail that will have to wait until Monday cause I just need to get out in that lovely-warm-your-chilled-rain-weary-bones-sun right this minute. I cleaned my studio earlier in week (after the big sparkely mess known as the silver leaf incident) and spent lots of time painting. I found myself embracing the grey drizzle outside and cranked up Wes Montgomery, Oliver Nelson and Miles Davis on my ipod. In those moments where the music and the grey came together the color, unpredictability and beauty of Spring found it's way into my work. In other news I turn 44 on Sunday! We are planning to spend the afternoon in the city sharing lots of yummy food here and walking around exploring public sculptures or visiting a museum depending on the weather. I wish you a weekend filled with good food, love, and exploration too. See you Monday!

Finding what we need...

Modern Nature

(this is my lucky feather)

A few weeks ago I came out from under a rock of cloudy and grey. Out from a fog that enveloped my sense of being in the world and made me take a look at many things with new eyes. As things were slowly sorting out in my grown up world Mother Nature came through with an amazingly warm-sun-filled-birds-singing-children-laughing-and-swinging-kind-of-days that filled me with hope and happiness. On that day as I was working in our garden thinking about happenstance and the lightness of letting go and I came across three beautiful feathers. I'm pretty sure they are from a woodpecker but they were so tiny and so beautiful that I knew right away I wanted to paint them. I wanted to create a piece out of the feeling I experienced that day. The painting picture above is what evolved over the past couple of weeks. It is encaustic and mixed media on a 1.75" thick piece of oak that I've been saving for something special. It's a combination of cloudy and grey, color and energy, luck and letting go. Thanks for reading...

Ummm...

Really? I was so surprised to find the cold weather crops I planted last week shivering in their raised beds this morning. I know snow in April is not unheard of in the mid-west but I really felt we had turned the corner to Spring already, didn't you? I'm pretty sure the chard, romaine, beets and radishes will survive this brief turn in temps but I'm not sure about the blue lake beans (seeing them looking super sad way at the end of the bed?). I guess I really could have waited another week or two to start my planting but the joy I felt last week when getting my hands in the dirt so needed, so rejuvenating and so grounding. So I guess I'll file this note to self for next year and keep my fingers crossed for my frosty little seedlings. I have an appointment in the city this morning but I see lots of studio time and cooking in the cold wet week ahead. See you soon...

i am....

able to share 2 new works-in-progress

thankful it's friday

still thinking about dinner last night*

sharing some potato love (the variation is amazing)

planning to try this today

seeing my kids with new eyes

planting cool weather crops

getting involved in the slow food in school project

loving that inspiration sneaks in at unexpected times

happy to say that we are staying in our house

(yep, that last one is a biggie)

* i brined and grilled pork tenderloin instead of chops

More light...

This Spring I find myself more mindful of the warmth and energy the sunlight seems to be infusing into my very being. In the past I've welcomed Spring with a tip of the hat or a passing glance but this year is different. This year I find myself embracing the season, breathing it in deeply and radiating it's sense of renewal. When Chuck and I were dating (long, long ago) we were hooked on the quirky 90's show Northern Exposure. Over the past few months we have been working our way through each season on DVD with the kids and they have fallen in love with Cicely, Alaska and all of it's characters too. Over the weekend we watched one of my favorite episodes about the Winter Solstice and 24 hours of constant darkness entitled "Northern Lights". If you have a minute or two check out the ending which is an homage to light, art and community.

Have a lovely day...

an unexpected bit-o-sunshine...

Hi there! I know it's been awhile but a last minute spring break get away came our way and so we traveled by plane, train and automobile to Florida. My Dad took the train from Michigan to pick up my three kiddos here in Chicago. They rode back to Ann Arbor and piled into my parents mini-van with their two cousins for a Spring Break road trip. My sister and I flew down to join them separately (her via business trip and me on frequent flyer miles) and voila... instant and unexpected fun in the sun. The long days by the pool relaxing, swimming and laughing were just what we all needed and I'm super grateful to my P's for all the time and energy they spent to make it happen. I've a bit of shopping and catch up to do here but am ready to get back into the studio and paint this afternoon. I should have some new work to share later in the week but until then i wish you each an unexpected bit-o-sunshine.