No Small Feat

So....life. It's big. And small. So much of life is the little things, but get too many little things going on at the same time and life gets big. That's what's happened to me lately -- lots of little things adding up to a grand schedule crunch, which has, by and large, prevented me from any significant work in the studio. That should change after this weekend. It HAS to change because I have projects and deadlines coming up. But this weekend, the Amazing Reese and I have the glorious privilege of witnessing our daughter wed a wonderful young man and participate in all of the pre-wedding hoopla that goes with such a happy occasion. The bride is ready. The mother of the bride (that's me) still hasn't decided what she is going to wear, except for the shoes. Three days ago, I finally found the perfect pair of shoes for a mother of the bride to wear to an outdoor wedding. Shopping for shoes was no small feat for these not small feet.

I feel compelled to put up a disclaimer to people who might be adversely affected by looking at a photo of my feet. Sorry. It was a slow news day.

Warm-Ups

Sometimes, when it has been a while since painting, I'll just do something, anything to warm up the creative juices. These three paintings were some of those. When they are more realistic, I call them sketches. I don't really know what to call these -- warm-ups?

Even though it's hard to tell from this photo, these are all the same size, 12" x 16" and all are oil on paper, which was a new medium to paint on for me. Instead of putting them on the easel, I put them on the glass top of my studio desk, and painted them flat. It was quite difficult to paint to the edges. I started by using palette knives and then as much as I tried to avoid it, it turned into a finger painting project, which of course, took me back to my childhood and the magic age of five. What was more fun in kindergarten than finger painting day? I had to use my fingers to keep the paintings from slipping all around the desk. I was a mess at the end -- paint everywhere -- face, ears, hair, arms, and hands.

The ones on the far left and in the middle will probably get cut in smaller pieces for note cards or something. I don't know yet about the one on the right. It reminds me of something - not sure what - seems like it has a story.....maybe your story. What story would you tell to go with the painting on the right?

Closet Cuteness Overload

The last four nights of my life, I've literally been dreaming about our daughter's forthcoming wedding. The best I can figure is that it's got to be because I still haven't absolutely decided which dress and shoes I'm going to wear as mother of the bride.....or what to do with my hair. The dreams also include friends and family who are coming to town. That's a happy part of the dream. Maybe tonight I'll actually focus on what I'm wearing in the dream and let my dream decide for me what I will wear. Ah, first world problems.

We've had an unlimited supply of guests stay with us in the last month with our listings on airbnb. It's work, work, work, but having people in the house all the time revives me, in spite of the extra house work. That reminds me, I've got some sheets to wash and a bed to make.

In the porch bedroom, Reese and I have been working together to turn this former bookcase into a usable space to hang clothes, aka, a pseudo closet.

The guy at Sherwin Williams matched the paint EXACTLY so there is a true seamlessness to the whole bookcase/closet. I love the little cubbies on the right.

Here is is all finished -- cute little space to hang a few clothes, cute basket for fresh towels. That's an old wooden spool on the end of a makeshift closet dowel rod to keep the clothes from falling off the end, also freakishly cute. And, of course, those cubbies couldn't be any cuter.

And yes, I realize that most people don't get excited about closets,  and probably most people don't think of closets as being cute, but hey, I realized that I'm not like most people a long time ago. And anyway, little pleasures in life make for big happiness.

On top of everything, I've painted a little bit, too, but will post about that tomorrow or the next day.