Odds and Ends

October Trees, 2008, Oil on Gessobord, 5x5

This is a good day for a few odds and ends. The painting above is from the batch of small paintings that I have been working on and I posted it because it is pretty much how it looked here yesterday. Bright blue sky, vividly colored trees and yellow fields. We tried to get some outside work done but it was actually rather chilly and I ended up inside mostly, cleaning and baking, neither of which I have done much of recently. But the grass got mowed, hopefully for the last time this year, the first batch (many more to come!) of fallen leaves got raked and put into the mulch bin and Doug finally brought down the pumpkins from our garden. This wasn't a very good pumpkin year around here, too much rain but oddly, ours did pretty well. I actually forgot about them-we planted them in the far back corner, then everything got really overgrown and I never even did go back there to check on them. Which is probably why they did so well, no one was messing with them. heh.

So they are out front now and I took a few gratuitous shots of Mr. Wilson perched on the big pumpkins.



And since Ginger is involved in everything, here she is too.



This image of Ginger reminds me of a photo that I recently came across. It's a (vintage) school picture of me in 1974 (when exactly did the 70's become vintage?), in fourth grade, same grade as Ginger is in this year. Slight resemblance, eh?



New studio news: Even I didn't think it was possible to fit one more thing into this room, but I managed it anyway. I decided not to hook up the baseboard heating this year (although I may regret that decision in January) and make do with a portable electric heater. I found a nifty one with enough btu's to heat the whole room AND it has a fake fire? What a find! I was a bit disappointed when it arrived however, as the fire is pretty realistic, well as far as fake fires go. I was hoping for a cheesier display maybe with a spinning paper log or a foil background but I'll have to just settle for improved technological illusions.


And this time of the year always reminds me of when Doug and I met in Philadelphia in 1988. This year marks 20 years for us which strangely seems like forever (almost half my life!) yet it has passed in the blink of an eye. Nothing special in the works to commemorate this anniversary, we are just trying to appreciate each day with each other and with our kids a little more than usual.

Late on the Anniversary

Opposing Sides, 2008, Oil on Panel, 11x14

While I was in Vermont, the two year anniversary of this blog came and went. It's hard to believe that I have been doing this for two years and have found the time to write 477 posts! Long ones too! I have been so wrapped up in blogs that it seems like I have always been reading them and keeping my own. On the other hand, it also feels like just yesterday that I struggled to set this blog up.

And this whole thing has been amazing. I have "met" so many new and interesting people here, virtually and then often in real life and it has literally been a lifesaver. It has been such a great community for this outcast to belong to.

Much has happened in the last two years. My mother died. I have gotten new gallery representation and difficult decisions about leaving galleries have been made. There have been so many amazing exhibition opportunities for me, some of which were a result of this blog. We added chickens, bees and a new dog to our lives. We scraped enough money together to replace our porch, paint the exterior of our house, replace the shingles. But in many ways things are just the same. I spend my days balancing motherhood with a career that can be overwhelming and all-encompassing. There never seems to be enough time for everything.

But still I plug away, raising my kids, making art, and keeping up with my internet friends. So thanks everyone, for reading my words, looking at my work and for some reason, finding me even remotely interesting. Can't quite put into words how much I appreciate that.

Go ahead and check out my first post. The one where I decided to use my words anyway. Heh.

Happy Anniversary, Doug!

Across The Field, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

As is typical, Doug and I forgot about our anniversary until just a few days ago while we were in New Mexico (more about that trip Monday). Last year I wrote about our silliness concerning our anniversary so I won't go into it again.

However I would like to point out that even though this date wasn't our first choice (you'll see why if you read last year's post) it does seem to have some very interesting karma attached to it.

My great Aunt Bertha and her husband, Uncle Walter, share the same anniversary. Of course I did not know this when we went to get married. How many people know the wedding date of their seemingly ancient relatives? I don't even know how long they were married but I am guessing at least 60 years, until sadly, Uncle Walter died a few years ago.

And Doug's parents also share the same wedding anniversary. They got married when his father got out of the military after WWII and were happily married until his mom died in the early 70's. We also didn't know the date of their marriage until Doug was going through an old box of papers a few years ago.

So I guess, that despite the fact that DOUG IS OUT OF TOWN TODAY ON BUSINESS we should stay married. Gotta keep up with the good karma!