Blooming Blurry Red Bud

Tuesday would have been a good day to paint. Why couldn't I have painted on Tuesday? Tuesday's sky was super blue and the red bud tree was chock full o' blooms. Today? The wind was too windy; the sky was partly cloudy; and the red bud tree had already begun to drop it's blooms. As has happened before when painting outdoors, I caught the canvas right before it fell to the ground. Had I been painting anywhere other than our own back yard, Mother Nature would have been much too overwhelming. As it was, with the house only yards away, clean up was easy and often.

This canvas has both bugs and tree pollen type droppings embedded in the paint surface. After a while, I just gave up on trying to remove it all.

Also, it has become apparent that I definitely need a new pair of glasses. It would have been helpful to have worn glasses to see the tree more clearly, but with the glasses on, I couldn't see the canvas and paints. I must be that age. This painting proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything I see is blurry.

Waimanalo Four-cast

Two years ago, when my little sister got married, this painting below (Waimanalo, Hawaii/ 22" x 28" oil on canvas) is what she wanted and received for a wedding gift. Little did I know that it was Waimanalo art project #1.

The painting is called "Waimanalo, Hawaii." Besides the obvious natural beauty, it was a great place to hang out with friends when I lived there. Our routine was to take a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter, jar of jelly; body surf and boogie board till we were dog tired; play Frisbee and/or football; then make and eat sandy sandwiches. Good times.

Waimanalo is one of my favorite places on God's green earth. Sad to say, the last time I was there was 1993-ish. It's one reason that I decided to immortalize it again in a mosaic table top, on which I worked, not exclusively thank God, for two (or more) years. (Waimanalo art project 2)

Last November, someone commissioned me to re-create the image I had used for Via Colori as a Christmas gift for a loved one. (Via Colori = Waimanalo art project 3.) It was in the middle of a crazy busy season, and thankfully, it was finished in the allotted time. The photo at left is that commission (Waimanalo art project #4) and is a 14" x 18" oil on linen. The transaction was mentioned in a blog post here.

All four art projects were based on a photo used with permission from Judy Vorfeld's website. I fell in love with Judy's photo because it's exactly what I remember from visiting the backyard of the home of a college friend's aunt and uncle. No wonder....it is the backyard.

Tara-fied

Warning: This blog entry contains cheese.

It's only Wednesday. Logically, that means that there's still time to accomplish something useful and purposeful this week -- at least as far as art is concerned. Today, however, accomplishment seems like an unattainable goal. These last three days have been filled with painting, and wiping it off, painting, more wiping off, more painting, and even more wiping off the painting. I've got absolutely nothing to show for three solid days work....oh, and that's not counting last weekend. It's a tad bit discouraging.

On good days, there's nothing better than painting. It becomes part of me; part of my soul; it becomes my home...if only I could think of some way to get that lovin' feelin' back.

To grossly paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara (please read with a syrupy Suthun' accent), "I'm Tara-fied. What if I can't find my muse again? Home. I'll go home, and I'll think of some way to get that lovin' feelin' for the artistic process back. After all, tomorrow is another day."

That's right, Scarlett, tomorrow is another day...and it also just so happens to be the day that I'll announce the winner of the camellia painting. Want to add your name to the list?

Curiously Incongruous

Rice University and a FEMA trailer seems curiously incongruous, but a FEMA trailer is exactly what is resolutely sitting on the lawn outside Rice Gallery right now. Well, at least it used to be a FEMA trailer. It's been re-purposed as an Emergency Response Studio, a solar powered mobile artist studio.

It's the brainchild of artist, Paul Villinski, created in response to a visit to New Orleans post Katrina. It's a brilliant idea; creating beauty and function out of something previously deemed a toxic environment in which to live.

My response? The Amazing Reese and I have talked for years about going off grid, not in a tree-hugger kind of way, but more to cruise and travel, me painting and Reese playing the guitar, our own little version of the ideal life. After being in the beautifully re-designed relatively spacious ERS trailer, Big Man Reese wasn't nearly as enthusiastic on the idea as before....which is saying a lot, because Reese means enthusiastic, and he excels at living up to his name. To be fair, Reese is 6'4", and the trailer, as creative and thoughtful as it was, made him feel slightly claustrophobic.

So, as wonderful as the Emergency Response Studio trailer is, I am glad that our life hasn't required living and working in one. If, for some Act of God or other unforeseen reason we needed to live in a FEMA trailer, hands down this is the one I would want. God bless Paul Villinski for giving people hope that even a FEMA trailer can be a beautiful thing.

Wop Upside The Head

Sometimes, it's best to not wait for inspiration to wop one upside the head, so to speak. Sometimes, it's important to just get busy. As my sweet little grandmother used to say, "I'm gonna do something, even if it's wrong," which roughly translates, just do it.

That's a good explanation of this little painting, doing something, even if it's wrong. Months ago, there were several days in succession where inspiration seemed to be lacking, much like the museless state described a few blog entries ago. It was one of those days where I thought that it would be better to just pick up a paintbrush and paint versus doing nothing. The end product was lackluster to say the least. A canvas filled with swirls of blue...to what purpose? The swirly blue canvas sat in the studio....for months.

Now, fast forward to last week. The camellias were in bloom, and I wanted needed to paint something, (even if it's wrong.) So, using the swirly blue canvas as a background, and not waiting for a wop upside the head for inspiration, I painted this still life of camellias.

And, dear blog reader, this painting is being offered as a freebie. Leave a comment, send an e-mail, or call me and your name will be put in the hat for a drawing in a week or so.

Ghost of Business Past

The future wine bar warehouse was full of the ghosts of business past. With the immediate challenge of selecting discarded items to make future art, I muddled through leftover supplies of what appeared to be a former stove parts wholesaler. Encouraged to take only what we needed, I winnowed my selection down to products with which I had already worked; some of which were tiles (even though I promised to never work on another mosaic) and assorted metal, a suitable painting surface considering the two retablos worked on in the past. Also, I took most of the copper tubing since that is used making clock sculptures -- thinking it would be useful in some sort of wine related sculpture.

Well, the still life was still set up in the studio. And there were tiles and old metal desk drawers from the warehouse still in our garage. So, either stupidly or brilliantly, I decided to paint the still life one more time...on the tiles...which will then be attached to the metal drawers with super strong magnets. The whole thing will hang on the wall -- or -- my true inspiration for the idea -- one could put the magnetized tiles on one's refrigerator....grown-up refrigerator art!

Everything is one dimensional on purpose. It was set up on the floor; so to paint one had to bend over. Also, the tiles were left unpainted where the table top should be...and it looked better as a whole without shadows and too much fuss. Because the tiles are so distractingly marbled, the strong outline around the ukulele, apple, and wine bottle are intentionally more pronounced.

This is the last thing I'll do for Block 7 Wine Company's opening.

Wine-y Art

A month ago, Anna and I went foraging through a warehouse, at the behest of the new owner, looking for discarded objects to turn into wine related art. The new owner is going to turn the warehouse into a wine bar. As mentioned in a previous post, one of the things in the warehouse was an old army cot.

An old army cot is made of...canvas! It's perfect for a painter. After cleaning the canvas, it was time to separate the canvas from the cot frame. Done. Next, quite a bit of work went into to separating the frame from itself. Because the cot was older, it was extremely well made. At several points, big man Reese helped pry some pieces apart. Done. Then, thankfully, Reese agreed to build the inner frame out of the cot legs. Next, the canvas was stretched around the inner frame, and stapled tight and taut. Two layers of gesso and other prep work...and it was ready.

In the photo below, the canvas made from the old army cot is on the easel on the right. An old piece of corrugated metal (from the warehouse) is on the easel on the left. Today, for the first time ever, I painted two paintings of the same still life simultaneously. The paintings aren't finished, yet, especially the one on the left. There are some technical issues painting in and around the ridges and dips in the metal...not entirely happy with the painting on the left.


The still life will stay put until both paintings are finished. The wine will turn to vinegar and the apple will likely decompose. Poor Hilary won't have a piano bench when she plays. And, very sadly, the ukulele is also temporarily out of commission.

Facebook Double Duty -- See #17

This post is in response to being tagged...repeatedly...on facebook. This game is asking for one to list 25 frikin' things about oneself. That's a LOT of jibber jabber.

1. One of my favorite things about being a mother has been reading and falling in love with children's books.

2. Along those same lines, back in the day, I highly anticipated my daughter's summer reading lists once they were in school. It's hard to go wrong with a Caldecott or Newberry Medal winner.

3. Doesn't everyone love Barnes and Noble?

4. One of my favorite books is called, The Legend of Larry the Lizard by Peter Meinke. It's a children's book that someone gave me and my big brother when I was five. It's simply illustrated, but written entirely in limerick.

5. Limericks, in my opinion, are an overlooked and under appreciated form of poetry.

6. Reese has very wisely said that if I bring one more piece of furniture in the house that I must get rid of something else. Because of this, I'm constantly buying and selling random pieces of furniture.

7. Our furniture is almost exclusively 2nd hand, sometimes even straight from the trash pile.

8. When people come over, they almost always comment on how homey it feels. My theory is that it's a visceral reaction because some of their own grandmother's furniture is here. It's just a theory.

9. When decorating, I'm not afraid to use color.

10. Our dining room is Ming red.

11. I prefer not to advertise brands. To that end, I avoid wearing labels of any kind, even cutting the tags out of the inside of clothes.

12. It's hard to go wrong with cashmere. Mmmm, cashmere.

13. Pearls, too. Is it possible to own too many pearls?

14. Linen, cotton, silk -- I like wearing natural fibers.

15. Once, my mother-in-law (God rest her soul) convinced my daughters that I was a vegetarian.

16. I eat meat.

17. When someone talks about one's civic or spiritual duty, it always makes me laugh. "Haha. They said doodee." It is generally unacceptable to laugh aloud in church when the pastor says duty. "Haha. He said doodee."

18. I'm on my 3rd or 4th wedding ring. Same husband...just keep losing the rings.

19. Hate is a strong word. That said, there's a whole group of people in this world who absolutely, unequivocally hate me.

19. My arch nemesis is Joe. He loathes me and oozes disgust whenever I am in his presence. He's probably the secretary of the Sarah Hazel Hater Club. I'm fairly certain of who the president and VP are, too.

20. People are surprised when they discover that Reese and I aren't hippies.

21. I, myself, added a room to the house and passed a City of Houston inspection.

22. From a $3 box of wool strips, I've braided and sewn together a very colorful rug....

23. ...that I vacuum with an Electrolux. Nothing sucks like an Electrolux. I say this in spite of #11.

24. When Reese and I were young newlyweds, we had come from such different religious backgrounds that the only thing we agreed on by way of belief was The Apostles Creed. Just now, reading this aloud to Reese, he said, "I don't think we entirely agreed on the Apostles Creed...." I much prefer the version from The Book of Common Prayer.

25. Commitment, compromise, communication, courtesy, and contentment make for a happy marriage. It also helps to be married to one's best friend.

San Antonio Girl

It's like my brain was fried or something. After more than a month, I finally had the time and the place to paint. The canvas has been prepared for several months; it even had a little label on it that said "San Antonio Girl" so that it wouldn't get used for anything else.

The very small story behind this small painting (9" x 12") is that after a UTSA college tour for daughter Hilary last spring, we stopped to enjoy the River Walk. From 50-ish feet away, this little girl was sitting with a family member...aunt or grandmother or someone. She was absolutely irresistible. I quickly snapped a photo. Whomever owned the lap on which she was sitting noticed, and didn't like that one little bit. I got some serious stink eye. It was totally worth it.

Back Yard Evolution

There are several things I want to point out in this photo....

First, for those who might not be aware, we obviously have painted several murals on the back of the house. The paint is holding up quite well, as this was painted several years ago.

Second, the patio work and design is still in progress; the brick and flagstone arranged in swirls to complement Starry Night on the mural/top right.

Third, the fountain is working!!!! The Amazing Reese dug a huge hole so that we could submerse it in the ground because...well, because he wanted it not to be so obvious. It looks great. The little yellow thing floating on top of the water is a rubber duckie. One might care to notice that a little bit of landscaping has been started around the pond as well.

And fourth, in the foreground is the ultra cool lantern I had commissioned from local Houston artist Jonatan Lopez. He used our old blue Weber grill -- the very same one that I have used to burn paintings -- as the casing for the light bulb. He cut a vine type pattern out of the metal, and at night when the lantern is on, the light dances and sparkles from the old Weber grill pit.

Finding My Muse

It seems that my muse has been misplaced. To try to find it, this week I've gone to the Menil Collection to see the Max Ernst exhibit, the MFAH, going to a lecture today at the MFAH on the life of Mary Cassatt, went to Barnes and Noble to buy and peruse art magazines, and will attend the opening at Lawndale Art Center tonight.

It's a slightly desperate situation to be in for an artist -- trying to find one's lost muse. Lord, have mercy.

Hair Raising Experience

Last week an acquaintance was quick to remind me how obvious it is that I have aged. Even though I wrote and joked about aging a couple of months ago, I love being 45. I thought that the changes have been gradual....that I'm aging gracefully. But it reckons that for people who haven't seen me from week to week, the change, in particular of my hair color, has been stark. So there I was at a luncheon with some "old" friends and acquaintances most of whom I hadn't seen in several years....and as soon as one of these acquaintances saw me she exclaimed,

"Wow! The last time I saw you your hair was black!"

To be sure, I am part of a small minority of women who do not color their hair. Good grief; my first grey hair appeared when I was still in high school. But apparently, in the last five or so years, my hair has made the leap from looking mostly black to looking mostly white. Oh, well....

No More Partridges

The tree branch is gone
indeed the whole tree,
for Reese chopped it down
for himself and for me.

The old tree was rotten
right down to the core;
it will soon be forgotten
though here's one story more....

A year ago December
I wrote a small story;
to help you remember
click here to read more-y.

To sum up, I said
that bird poo was plenteous;
what we wanted instead
of bird poo was just emptiness.

So a year ago, Reese
put on climbing gear,
from his wife got a kiss,
climbed the tree with a prayer.

His goal was to cut
the branch hanging over
the front porch door step
where bird poo was greater.

The job was quite huge
as tree branches fell;
a tree branch deluge
of that I can tell.

Well, Reese was worn out
the job mostly done;
just the trunk standing stout,
just the trunk all alone.

A funny thing happened
the tree seemed to thrive;
the birds kept on crappin'
and bees built a hive.

(The bee part's not real
I needed the rhyme,
the truth is the leaves
started growing in time.)

But reality found
the tree was quite sick;
and Reese took it down
last week -- what a trick.

The photo you see
is Reese working his hardest
to cut up the tree;
cut it all up to sawdust.

I'm happy to say
we are both quite delighted;
the tree's gone away
and no poo has been sighted!

Texas Green

What I neglected to mention a month and a half ago, was that I have a painting in the Art Car Museum for their Texas Green Exhibit. The opening was on November 22nd. November 22nd just so happened to be the first day of street painting for Via Colori. After the opening at the Art Car Museum, Reese and I proceeded to attend an intimate dinner at a friend's house. It was an exhausting, exhilarating, and busy weekend.

The Texas Green exhibit will be at the Art Car Museum through February 15th, so there's still time to go. The exhibit has a wide range of art to view. Honestly, one of the pieces is a state of Texas made out of dryer lint. The most interesting thing about the exhibit, personally, was that I was able to recognize several local Houston artists' works without looking at the reference tags.

"Anna Swinging" is my painting in the exhibit -- top photo, middle row, far right.

Here's a closer look.

And this is just being silly. What else would one do at the Art Car Museum?

More -- It's a Good Thing

It seems like there's hardly been time to recover from the busy holiday season, and there's more to do already.

When I went to Bulldog Postal to mail Christmas gifts last month, the owner liked what I had made so much that he commissioned me to make one as a gift for his brother's birthday on January 3rd. First, I laughed...ha!...the absolute absurdity of doing one more thing by January 3rd! Then I agreed to do it, but not by January 3rd. Deal. That's the first thing I'm working on this week, something similar to the clock in the photo, which was Erin's homemade Christmas gift from me.

Then, last Sunday morning I received a really interesting e-mail. A new wine bar was gutting a warehouse, and had the bright idea to let artists come forage for stuff. The new owners were asking artists to make a piece of art out of the objects in the warehouse for Block 7 Wine Company grand opening sometime in late February/early March. Cool. It could be that the owners were just looking for some cheap labor...but they turned out to be super nice. So, Anna and I went foraging, and now we are both working on wine culture related art made out of the materials found in the warehouse. One of the cool things I found was an old army cot. Yesterday was spent trying to clean it (in the process of which I accidentally spilled a whole bottle of bleach on the driveway -- bummer.) Now I'm working on separating the canvas from the cot, then I'll build a frame for the canvas out of the cot frame, gesso the canvas, and use the whole thing for a painting. If none of that works, I grabbed some other junky type stuff from the warehouse and have loads of other ideas....

"No Go Bye Bye"

That's what this little guy said to his mom after playing at our house for a couple of hours.

True Poetry

When Reese asked me what I wanted for Christmas from him, I mentioned that I would be happy with either a sonnet or a song. He has written both sonnets and songs before, so it wasn't like I was asking for anything out of his comfort zone. Reese, in his brilliance, did both. He wrote an English sonnet and set it to music. It's probably the best thing he's ever written -- and I should know, I'm his biggest fan.

When it occurred to me that I had painted a portrait of Reese playing the guitar for him for Christmas, and he had actually written a song and played the guitar for me for Christmas...it was poetic, in the truest sense of the word.

Blue Sonnet by The Amazing Reese Hazel

Another night is over for the day
And all the little bits of dew are done
You come along and take the dark away
The night is over coming is the sun

You look for hidden meaning in between
The lines that lay around are everywhere
And looking here and there you might have seen
Another rainy night for us to share

Now cuddle up and let me hold your hand
And listen to the water falling free
You know you have to let me be your man
As anyone with eyes would have to see

So anything that I will have to do
I will to make you mine I will be true

Reese and Reese

Reese must have had some sort of idea what the top secret project was. When I asked him if he thought that I was working on a painting of him, he said, "I considered it at one point."
"Well, what else would it have been?"
His answer..."a time machine....or a flying car." At he has complete confidence in my skills and abilities!

It's such a relief not to hide it anymore. There were so many times that I would have asked his advice or just gotten a little feedback on the progress, but it was a secret! One day I took a nap on the futon in the studio. When I woke up, there was Reese standing tall over me grinning from ear to ear....only it wasn't Reese, it was the portrait of Reese. Freaked Me Out. After that incident, it was covered when napping.

Then it took me forever to figure out how to get the frets in the correct positions. I ended up making fret marks on a rubber band, then stretching the rubber band on the canvas to get the fret bars in the right place....which I worked on on Christmas eve. I was in the studio with the door shut to keep out the dogs; Erin's dog, Raleigh, and our "Uncle" Skipper. The painting was on the floor to use rulers, rubber bands, and such, and the next thing I hear is Reese talking to me through the door. He was worried that I might be overcome with fumes.

Another good thing about working on it at the last minute is that Anna was home to give me some good art advice. It's not the first time she's given me invaluable advice. This go around the advice was about shading. She suggested some shading here and there...then said, "That's too blue. Why don't you add the complementary color to get really good shading."
"What?"
She said, "Mixing complimentary colors together makes a neutral, and these colors are better than adding black to anything for shading. Avoid using black ALWAYS."
It was news to me, but when I tried it on the Reese portrait, the depth and dimensions started to pop.

I think Reese likes the painting.

Love, Betsy

This is the delightful surprise that was in my e-mail inbox this afternoon. Betsy is my first cousin on dad's side of the family. I love her. We are the same age and used to play together every summer at our Grammaw's house. What I remember most is lots of giggling.

After the introductions, Betsy takes me on a little tour of the cemetery (I like that kind of stuff,) then she drives past our grandparents' house. The house was painted white back in the day. I stayed in the big bedroom just above the front porch on the left. Around the back of the house there was a little carport. Grandpa would make a swing out of giant springs and attach it under the carport. We called it the "boing boing swing" -- one could swing and bounce at the same time! SOOOOOO much fun!

There was a garden in the back yard, too. We'd eat fresh veggies every night of our visit; my favorites being homemade cream corn and green beans. Yum.

Deep in the back yard there was a big red barn filled with treasures....trash to some people but treasures to me. I'm sure that's where I get my extreme fondness for taking someone else's trash, refurbishing it, and using it to furnish our home. The apple hasn't fallen far from the proverbial tree.

Now, I understand that you, the gentle reader, aren't going to tear up and bawl like I did the first time I saw the Merry Christmas, Sarah video. But that's exactly what happened to me....bawled like a baby.

Hi Sarah,

Merry Christmas! When I read your blog about homemade gifts, it prompted this idea. So, here are some scenes from Concord, since you haven't been there in a long, long time. Hope you enjoy this video, and please excuse the amateurs.


Scenes from Concord from Betsy Bryan on Vimeo.

"Merry Christmas, Sarah!"

Love,
Betsy

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Santa needs a little helper.

The short list goes something like this....there's daughter Hilary's birthday dinner party for between 15 and 20 guests, then Christmas, then Reese's birthday, then a "welcome back to Texas" party for some dear friends. It's all do-able, if not slightly overwhelming. There's a bit of extra cleaning, shopping (I've barely started,) cooking and baking to do -- RIGHT NOW.

Plus, at the forefront is a commission to be completed as a Christmas gift for someone I met through working on Via Colori -- it's almost finished but has pushed previously planned projects aside for a bit.

We did get the Christmas tree yesterday, then realized that we didn't have a stand and had to go back to the store, well, two stores because the first store was sold out. Got the lights on the tree today. Sure do hope it's decorated by tonight, and I can get the messy boxes out of the living room.

The production for Reese's Christmas gift has slowed to a crawl....I need more time, and perhaps sanity.

And the gifts I'm working on for family members aren't finished, and they still need to be mailed. There are two separate projects going for friends and neighbors. Whew, I'm tired just writing it all down. I think I'm forgetting something, too....oh right, Skipper (the dog) desperately needs to go to the groomer.

Then there's the added issue that Reese and I need to do something in the back yard to prepare for the two parties. As it is now there's a pile of mud that will be impossible to resist for the young friends who will soon be our guests. There's no way for even grown ups to walk in the back yard without getting in mud....little bits of mud are everywhere. The charming cherubic statue part of the fountain busted (after Reese worked his tail off to get the hole dug for The Beast) and needs to be fixed (with Rockite) and properly installed.

On another note, (so to speak,) listen to this:
Baby, it's cold outside
These two together sound great (in my opinion,) though the youtube images are cheesy. Reese has agreed to sing karaoke with me on this one -- some day.

VIVA JOY!

When this time of the year comes around
and my mind starts beginning to hound
itself of the chores
like shopping in stores
the head 'round my mind starts to pound

I can't seem to get it all done
when it's me by myself only one
to tie all the ribbons
as presents are given
while ever the errands to run

It's not fair that I am so complainy
this season has always been drainy
as resources dwindle
it's hard to re-kindle
the JOY that should keep us all saney

It's not that sweet JOY disappeared
somewhere in my heart it is here
though that part of my heart
might need a jump start
or at least a swift kick in the rear

Down deep in my heart I'm excited
for Christmas has always ignited
fondness for brothers
and significant others
that flame just might be mostly lighted

For I'm thinking anew of my blessings
and shoving aside all the stressing
for Christmas it's clear
that I should hold dear
sweet Jesus in Whom I am resting

But in practice it's harder to do
much harder than tying one's shoe
the JOY and the hope
gets lost in the scope
and "normal" seems more like a zoo

If there is an answer I'll listen
the meantime my eyes start to glisten
so much to get done
that a lot of the fun
is gone -- it's sweet JOY that I'm missin'

(Sweet JOY is also my daughter
of whom I couldn't be prouder
she's been a delight
morn noon and night
my fondness for her is a lot-r

JOY's our fourth of a bevy of beauties
three sisters has she -- cute patooties
from childhood to now
JOY's laugh fills the house
it's almost as if it's her duty

It so happens that JOY shares my name
first Sarah last Hazel the same
some problems it's caused her
in school they all call her
Sarah, not JOY -- we're to blame

It's my hope that JOY really won't mind
I hope that some day she will find
that I'm pleased that we share
a fine name sounding fair
as she grows into young woman kind)

It

My art blog buddy friend Joan tagged me to reveal 7 little known facts about myself, and then tag other blog buddies to do the same. I've played this game before. It's a lot of thinking to come up with seven new facts.

1. Even though, according to social data, I was born during the boomer years, I have very little in common with most baby boomers. It seems I have more in common with Generation X-ers, even though the years defining that generation are outside my birth year.

2. Any deviation from wearing pure gold earrings and my ears start itching within minutes. Consequently, I wear the same pearl with gold post earrings every. single. day.

3. I absolutely LOVE being a woman with curves, but am really really tired of the lumps.

4. Because of poor eyesight, my ears have had to overcompensate. Therefore, I have incredibly good hearing. It always freaks my daughters out that I can hear what they are whispering from two rooms away.

5. 97% of everything in my house is second hand -- by choice.

6. Reese gave me gum (amongst other things) for my birthday and I couldn't have been happier. I chew an awful lot of gum. My new favorite gum is Orbit White, though Trident White is good, too. Orbit seems to keep it's flavor and chew longer than Trident.

7. Sometimes I judge the boringness of an event by how many pieces of tape I think I'll need to get through it. (I like playing with the sticky side of tape.) A typical church service runs between a two tape to a four tape event. Mandatory school events average three pieces. Whenever I see tape at a cash register, I ask if I can (please?) have a piece.

There it is, seven new, random, little-known facts about me. Play if you want.
(My cousin Betsy played!)

Street Painting 301

Clear, crisp, and chilly best describe the beautiful weather for Via Colori. What a delightful difference from last year's miserable rained out event! The weather's charming personality wooed the gathered crowd and infected us with artistic camaraderie. Houstonians are incredibly charitable with support for the arts and the community. This event showcases both -- local artists and the Center for Hearing and Speech.


Beka and Wendy enthusiastically agreed to help me with this year's 100 square feet. How wonderfully and completely serendipitous that sweet Zoe helped, too. It just so happened that she and her parents came at the exact time we needed help putting in blue sky and turquoise water. (Zoe is the little chickadee in the bottom left corner.)



Shortly after Zoe left, another young family stopped to watch us work. There was still some yellow foreground that needed to be filled in, so Reese recruited sisters Anna and Harper to help. Again, 100 square feet is a large canvas, (so to speak;) we were grateful for the assistance. As seen in the photo, their mom chipped in as well. Bless them.



The image for this year's event is from one of my paintings called "Waimanalo, Hawaii." Besides the obvious natural beauty, it was a great place to hang out with friends when I lived there. Our routine was to take a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter, jar of jelly; body surf and boogie board till we were dog tired; play Frisbee and/or football; then make and eat sandy sandwiches. Good times.


Here are my diligent helpers -- Beka (in the overalls) and Wendy. Beka wore the overalls because she had been forewarned about plumber's crack, an occupational hazard of so much bending.


Reese, Hilary, Joy, and I went back on Sunday afternoon for a sadly mediocre lunch. Wanting to tweak some of the details, especially in the shadowy areas, I also brought some old pastels from home to work on it a little bit. It didn't take much to get it just right. The day before, I was so exhausted that it was impossible to see what needed to be done to complete the project.

So here it is, all finished! Today, it's just a fond memory. The city of Houston washes everything away before Monday morning's traffic.

63

At some point last summer, Reese and I were outside visiting with some of our socially-comfortable and very energetic neighbors, Jenni and Scotty. We are close in age, and were comparing years of birth. Reese and I both said to Scotty something like, "Yeah, we're both 63," meaning that we were both born in 1963. In context, it made sense. Jenni was distracted by other goings on that day and only mostly overheard this part of the conversation.

A few days later, Jenni's brother Minh came up and marveled at how good Reese and I looked. OK.....thanks? He went on and on about how nicely we've aged....it was flattering, if not a little unusual. Minh wasn't the only one -- random people started coming out of the woodwork, incredulous that we have aged so well.

It did cause me to wonder what was happening. (?) Then again, it's not unusual for people, when they discover our age, to tell us that we are just "babies." The norm is for people with kids our daughter's ages to be 10 or more years older than us. Or the complete opposite; people our age have kids who are 10 or more years younger than our daughters. At both ends of this spectrum, people call us "babies."

Turns out that what Jenni heard that day was that we were 63 years old....not that we were born in 1963. Factual or not, the grapevine message spread like wildfire. According to the latest TMZ report, Reese and I are 63! Hmmm, not a bad idea, though -- to tell people that I'm 63. While I might look a tad aged for a (as of today) 45 year old, I look hot for a 63 year old!

Happy my birthday to you!

Top Secret

Back in the day, Reese and I hand made Christmas gifts for extended family members. We have made so many things over the years....painted glass ornaments, piecework stockings, cocoa mix, clay angel ornaments, home made vanilla, toffee, decorated frames, letter blocks (as seen in photos -- a big hit with both sets of grandparents,) and who knows what else. A great deal of thoughtful consideration, time, and effort went into these presents. We encouraged our daughters to do the same and make gifts for loved ones. The idea was that something made from hearts and hands would be appreciated more than something store bought. Well, different people have different ideas of what Christmas (and in particular, gift giving) should mean, even within the same family. Everyone doesn't always have high regard for such a contribution; so after a few years of this types of present being largely misunderstood, we stopped doing it and started buying everything.

But last year, when Reese, Erin, Anna, Hilary, and Joy started asking for my Christmas wish list, I realized that what I truly wanted was something home made. So I sent Reese and the daughters an e-mail that said,

I've decided what I really want for Christmas...
something from your hearts/skills/or mind
such as:
a song, sung or played
a poem recited
a painting or drawing
a scripture passage memorized
something knitted
something baked or cooked
or whatever might come from your hands or heart

All of you are talented. Please give me something from your storehouse of talent.

Reese wrote and performed a bluesy love song. Erin drew something in colored pencils on brown paper. Anna knitted a scarf. Joy did a watercolor drawing. And Hilary promised to sing a song when her voice cleared. It was one of the best Christmases ever -- but then again, I say that every year! (Of course, it also meant that, in order to set a good example, I needed to make something for them as well. It had been so long since home made gift season that I felt a bit rusty and out of practice.)
This year, last year's e-mail was sent 'round again. This year, the preparations started a little earlier. And this year, it's really hard to keep such a big secret....from Reese. He's my very best friend and naturally, I want to talk with him about this little (big) Christmas project. The art studio is a wonderful space to create and at the end of the day, close the door. Keep a secret -- no problem, mon. Only the fumes from the oil paint and solvents is overpowering with the door closed! There's no ventilation. So, in order to not suffocate, and get a small amount of air circulating in the studio, this towel got hung in the doorway, with about a 12 inch gap underneath it. The fumes are still fumy, though not nearly as bad as they were the first week. The little sign on the outside (to the left of the blue towel) is to remind Reese not to enter the studio (please) because I'm working on his Christmas gift. The sign also says that I'll happily fetch whatever he might need from inside the studio, such as stored wheat berries for his most excellent bread making, or good beer (also stored in the studio) for the drinking.