Resurrection.

"Nearly Not Endangered" 30"x40" 2010

This has been a beautiful summer physically, emotionally and spiritually. For many people it has been a summer of great challenges ranging from heartbreaking to humorous to disastrous. With perseverance, time, support, and a little luck, we've been adapting to our circumstances and turning misfortune into treasure. I feel so lucky to have people in my life who have always greatly encouraged me as an artist and who have given me incredible emotional and physical support this summer. Words and actions of support, encouragement and love can lift the spirit from a darker place. I think back to memories of being encouraged by my friends, my family, and strangers I've met along the way to keep me strong and confident in art and life. We all have those moments of doubt and insecurity which can be legitimate but are often silly and unnecessary. As much as we can self-talk or work our way out of that state of mind, it's a great gift to have people who are there to do that for us.
If you need some help with believing in yourself, watch this video for inspiration.

The Warrior Mask.

Back in late December I picked up this mask belonging to a Wallingford family. Their sweet son suffered from cancer as a baby and had to wear this mask when he underwent radiation treatment. For the family, the mask is representative of victory that is strongly tinged with sadness and struggle. About a year after his treatment ended, this child's loving mom had the motivation to artistically reassign the mask a look of triumph and strength. 

"Keaton the Warrior" 2010 plastic, acrylic, beads, gold leaf, paper, wire

I was excited about this project from the start, and grateful that the family chose me as their artist. Because it's such a meaningful piece for the family, I wanted it to be AMAZING and only add to it elements that I was very excited about and felt confident would be representative of this family. Trying to sense what would be meaningful in terms of design, color, and symbolism, I was able to create a powerful piece that included some touches that are very personal to me as well(most special being the African beads that were given to me by my lovely great-aunt Irene, who spent her youth in Angola).

The protective mask before artwork

Now in mid-May the family finally has the mask back in their home. We're all thrilled with the transformation. 

Snails and Puppy Dog Tails.

This past week I had the opportunity to paint for a little boy which was super since I haven't painted a boy's room in over a year. The parents came up with the idea of the planes, trains and automobile theme, and large parts of the design. Their 2 1/2 year old son was definitely into it! I love how it looks. As with most of my recent jobs, this one involved a few firsts for me: a growth chart, painting a background for 3-D letters, and incorporating text within a mural. Take a look!

Inspired by Water.

I just finished painting this step stool for a little girl who LOVES to wash her hands but can't quite reach the sink on her own yet. It will go in the powder room where I painted the simple and striking woodpecker/birch trees mural. My customer bought this stool new at Ikea. It was unstained wood with a varnish so I lightly sanded it and used the tried and true Zinnser shellac primer. Luckily for me, my customer still had the wall paint so I borrowed that as well as the red from the hallway outside of the powder room (used for the leaf and fish). I'm so happy with how this turned out since painting on a surface like this isn't ideal when the slats in the wood interrupt the design. My customer is a huge fan of water life, especially turtles, so I can't wait for her to see the final product when I drop it off tomorrow.

Love.

 






Here's to celebrating LOVE every day of our lives, pursuing the things we LOVE to do, and growing and learning with the ones we LOVE.



Happy Valentine's Day! 

New Beginnings

Noon Moon is back in business thanks to Brett's request for some custom greeting cards to send to his Murcal customers this month. This is the first time I'm using text in a print, and the first time I'm using more than one plate (3 total) to make up the print. The center greeting and the company name are their own plates so that we have the option to change up the design in the future. I bought a mini Speedball soft rubber brayer so that I don't make a mess with my larger brayer inking up the smaller blocks. It's nice to finally have a second brayer! I wash them frequently when I take breaks or switch colors so having 2 in rotation keeps me moving.
Stay tuned for a new Valentine's Day-inspired print that I'm carving tonight- Lovebirds!