Pintora Linda

Frida Kahlo Kitty is now in the shop. Choosing the colors for this was fun since we don't use too much bright color at home -- just in our art. If you haven't yet seen the Frida movie starring Salma Hayek as Frida, you need to put it on your Netflix queue now! I love her personal style...all those dresses, braids, chunky necklaces and earrings! I am waiting for a Halloween party so I can go as Frida. Maybe I should keep a lookout for shawls and skull earrings now. I think my husband would make a dashing Diego Rivera, though assuredly less portly and much less of a romantically lecherous rascal!

Fashionista

I had never heard of Lynn Yaeger until I saw her in an Oprah magazine article about individual style. She certainly is individual and so charming! I have to admire her for sticking to her fashion guns even in the face of ridicule (something she has admittedly endured). She must be doing something right, since she writes fashion articles for Vogue and (formerly) The Village Voice. Her image is so charismatic I had to make a little doll of her, which I may send to her just for kicks:

The Jello Mold Mistress of Brooklyn

I was happy to find the Jello Mold Mistress through Cute Overload and I am amazed at her ability to continually reinvent gelatinous desserts! Check out this eggnog jello for the holidays. This woman has a serious obsession and she's quite skilled at assembly and presentation. I especially appreciate the jellos made with spirits. Heh. Maybe she wants a taste-tester?

OMG

This tote was donated to a raffle to benefit the Grafton Food Bank. Our town is excellent at organizing various drives for this cause. Recently I was able to pay off my fines at the library with donations of canned goods. Lucky....they were pretty hefty! All you have to do is check out one kids' movie, then add in holiday busy-ness, sick kids, zillions of errands and appointments and *poof!* you owe your child's first tuition payment in library fines.

3 in 2

I have just finished three custom orders in two months, just in time for a little pre-holiday relaxing. We will not be hosting any dinners/brunches/parties this time around, only the Christmas Eve cookies and milk placement, and Christmas morning chaos that is so much fun with two little girls in the house! I just can't wait to hear all the squealing and "Oh my gosh"-ing.

This painting of a wren surrounded by London landmarks and other fun items was a new challenge for me. I spent a lot of time peering at photos of Big Ben, London Bridge, and phone booths, among other things. The customer requested that the bird be wearing red and white striped socks -- the part of custom orders which I absolutely love, collaborating and imagination and a little kookiness thrown in once in a while! I can't decide if my favorite part is the little guard or the fish and chips. Okay maybe it's the socks.

Next up we have the little bespectacled fairy with her purple tulle skirt. I love making these skirts because I always wanted one as a child. Now I can dress my paintings in them and it adds such a nice 3-dimensional effect...I went a bit over-the-top with this one: it has an underlayer of glittery pink tulle, with a lavender tulle layer on top and lastly a darker purple tulle layer. FUN!

Now here's a portrait of Mattie, a much more realistic style than I usually attempt. I emailed the finished scan to the customer and held my breath. Luckily she was very pleased and I could relax again.

Well the tree is up and decorated, the shopping is half done and I'm feeling happy! I would love to have time in the new year to work on my personal art projects. There is a very modern painting of Alice in Wonderland floating around in my head...curiouser and curiouser considering I've never read the book. Maybe I should add that to my list of New Year's resolutions! Wait -- is it time to start thinking about those already?!?

Neigh!

E-I-E-I-O...this painting was done for my dear cousin, in anticipation of her first baby. She and her husband live on a large farm in Vermont and just adore their animals, so of course...

it is on the large side, over 24" across, so I could not scan it successfully. The details in the pic aren't showing as well as I'd like, but luckily I have a pic highlighting the blue chicken!

And why not a blue chicken? Better to fuel the baby's imagination right away.

Grrrr...technology

This is why I paint and have not yet plunged into the world of digital art...because I've spent the last six years and eleven months being Mom and about 12 minutes of that time has been dedicated to learning the ins and outs of the computer/flatscreen/dvd player. I did manage to add this adorable border to my blog today and I looove it! At least I can say I'm a few notches above my mom, who called me shortly after receiving a cd player from us for Christmas, to say "It won't play the B sides." Love her!