Under Construction

My website has undergone a few changes this week, in particular the "recent work" page which was formerly called "sold." I wanted to be able to show off a few items that are complete, but not yet for sale or not yet sold. I love having the thumbnails lined up on the left! It's a great setup. Next up is a new font, if I can make up my mind. I'm a little surprised at the disdain for Papyrus I've seen in the online art community, but hey -- I'm flexible!

Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in yardwork and planting. I have some beautiful columbine to get into the ground asap, but I'm about to melt away if I'm out there for much longer. Ninety degrees in April?!

Weird Cat Lady

I'm not a weird cat lady, I swear! Then why do I keep making cat art? Maybe it's the spirit of my old cat Ernie whispering into my ear as I create. He was a sweet little guy who disappeared about 5 years ago. The dog officer and highway departments never found a body; they said it was very likely the coyotes had done him in. At the time the coyote population in my little town had been expanding and causing a lot of grief for pet owners. We have no pets now, and no plans for getting any. I can barely keep up with the care and feeding of the human population in this house; bringing in an animal would be sadistic! Someday, maybe. I do enjoy being pet-hair-free.

Until then I'll be making cat portraits. They've been very popular, so I'm not exactly being discouraged here. Above is Bookworm Kitty, collaged onto a vintage book cover. I used a scrap of an child's old cardigan to make her sweater. I was going to attach a hanger to it but when I saw it sitting on a table with its pages fanned out a bit, I decided to leave it as is.

I'll have another piece, called Marie Antoinette Kitty, available in the shop soon. It's my favorite work of kitty art so far.

Meh

I should have listened to the inner voice that whispered "but it's Madonna" when I picked this up at the library. I was much more interested in the illustrations than the story, so I figured I'd bring it home and read it to my 6 year old, and it would entertain us both. As it turns out, the inner voice was right. The story is pretty mediocre, at times annoying. The illustrations are pretty fabulous though! Knowing that, take a look at the cover of the book. Notice anything? Yep, it just says Madonna. The illustrator, Jeffrey Fulvimari, got a small recognition on the title page and that's it. Nothing on the front cover, nothing on the inside back cover, where I usually look for biographical information on illustrators I admire. If you ask me, he got a raw deal here. I doubt he's crying into his pillow though, as he's done loads of work for lots of chic clients.

While I'm at it, I'll mention some of the other illustrators I've been admiring for a while:
Lauren Child, author of the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean books
Marie-Louise Gay, author of the Stella books and Sam books
Melissa Sweet, brilliant illustrator of many lovely children's products, some of which are featured prominently on my girls' bedroom wall -- see below.

What Cupcakes Do When The Bakery Closes

A dear friend of mine, who is a very talented baker and chef, has asked me to create a cupcake design for some business forms. I have to say, it was one of the most fun assignments I've had in a while! Who can resist a cupcake, especially a smiling one? My older sister makes some of the best cupcakes in the world. I have made sure to request them for my birthday next month. They are the kind of cupcakes that you can eat half a dozen of without pause. Maybe I'd better get some extra miles in on the dreadmill in anticipation?

Mean Girls

My kindergartener is on the brink of having a very packed schedule. I usually don't encourage that, except on the weekends, if there are birthday parties she would be too disappointed to miss. As it turns out she has two to go to in one day (Saturday), on top of her piano lesson. That's fine with me. My biggest issue is resisting the cupcakes. Good thing I'm really picky about frosting!

So there we were at a party full of first-graders, and I stayed with her (as inconspicuously as possible), sitting on the sidelines and observing. There was a LOT to observe. The snide comments, the insults, the tongues sticking out. I can't believe how early it starts! I wonder where they pick it up. Older siblings? Or just being surrounded by other kids so often once they start school? It's a little sad, but I suppose it's part of the learning process, growing up, blah blah blah. I wish I could stand next to her at all times like a Secret Service employee, ready to deflect mockery or snobbery at a moment's notice. Somehow I don't think that would improve her popularity so I'll restrain myself, and throw her to the lions each day as I send her out to the school bus.

Shoe Lust

At times like these, I (almost) wish I had an office-y job again, just for the excuse to buy adorable shoes like these. They are the perfect shade of springy, not-quite-blue and not-quite-green, and would look fabulous with an ivory pencil skirt or beige suit pants. Or some sort of wrap dress. Of course, they'd look great with long, dark jeans, but I have too few occasions for an outfit like that and too many other neglected pairs of heels in my closet. It is my right to drool, though, so I'll do that for a while...