Ah, yes, Instagram...

new lil' night swimmers 

(shown w/Night Swimmer No. 18)

I know I'm late to the party but I was looking for a way to change things up and a friend mentioned Instagram.  More photos, less words....I think I'm going to like it.  I'm going to post images and new work here and there for the next few weeks and see how it goes.  This place feels like home but it might be fun to travel down a new road to see where it leads...if you are on instagram you can follow me here.

Art Prize Is On People...

Smoke Signals

30"x60"

I drove to Grand Rapids, MI earlier this week to hang my work along with over 1500 other artists in a city wide celebration of art.  Art in office buildings, cafes, bars and retail shops and windows.  Sculptures and installations inside museums and outside in public plazas.  Art everywhere for everyone for just a few days. If you are anywhere near  the west side of the state I invite you to stop in and cast a vote in person. If you are not close enough to attend the event in person, you can cast a vote on line here: http://www.artprize.org....my # is 61470.  I am so excited to be a part of this enormously vibrant, public, gorgeous effort to spread the idea that art starts conversations, nourishes the soul and is for everyone.

So this happened...

(Shortly before it became official)

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my 1st born child is now out in the world for reals.  The photo above was taken a bit before the president welcomed the class of 2019 in the sweltering heat.  Phoebe, Chuck and I had a great dinner the evening before, talked for hours and the next morning the move in went pretty smoothly (despite near 100 degree temps and a tricky laptop issue).  I am so excited to see this smart, strong and passionate young woman start her own journey. My role in her life is shifting and that is a big change.  I held it together while we were at school, but today, when we arrived home and I walked by her room, I lost it.  A wave of emotions washed over me as I begin to process this separation.  The boys go back to school Tuesday and there is lots of cleaning and organizing to do around here so I think I'm going to take a week or two to pull myself together, get back to work in the studio and think about what I want this blog to look like going forward.  See you back here in just a bit...

New Work-

The Long Winter

19"x19"x1.5

framed

garden to table...

Sharing some beauty at the end of an ugly week.  Earlier this week I received a text from my bank asking about a rapid series of charges that emptied my bank account. My card was not lost or stolen but apparently someone skimmed my card # and wiped me out.  Thankfully, I was alerted quickly, called the bank, shut down the card and the disputed amount was put back into my account while an official investigation takes place over 60-90 days.  My new card will have a chip in it which will make it more difficult to skim but the whole thing just really wrecked a perfectly good week.  I spent much too much time thinking about the person that stole the number and the person who bought the counterfeit card and decided that I need to let it go. Posting the garden's goodness while enjoying the tomato salad in the middle for lunch as I type seemed like a good way to wrap things up.  A mole has taken out all the bush and climbing beans but everything else is in pretty good shape although things are looking a bit unkempt.  Late summer shabby is ok in the garden because two weeks from today we drive our oldest to college and we are squeezing in all kinds of quality family time.  All three of my kiddos start school after Labor Day and this year in particular it feels like a gift. Happy weekend.

Mo chairs...

Garden Party

20"x20"x1.5" framed

Did I tell you I planted a cutting garden this year?  I did (and it actually does look a little something like this) and if you lived closer I would invite you to sit and chat among the flowers and the monarch butterflies and the honeybees.  But since you don't live closer (and I don't actually have chairs in my flower bed) I will just say a quick hello and tell you that my vegetable and flower garden are bursting with color and yumminess and I can barely keep up with the zucchini and tomatoes.  And I will wish you a happy last month of summer and ask what beautiful and edible things you have coming up in your garden right now?

A summer surprise...

This showed up in my inbox the other day and completely blew my mind...I had no idea my work was being used for the flyer!  I finished 'The Invitation' the week before I saw the call for art for the 'Chairs' and really felt the piece was destined for the show.  I was so happy when it  was juried into the show and happily sent the piece off to Northern California.  When this showed up in my inbox Wednesday night I was truly and completely caught off guard.  I wish I could attend the opening but having just been there a few weeks ago that is not ion the cards but it promises to be a fabulous show starring my new favorite subject :)  Surprises rock.