Kicking Back this Weekend...

Just resting and exhaling this weekend after a VERY long stretch of hubby working. (that's 2 whole work weeks including the weekend in between.) Lucky me... it's a beautiful, sunny day and I can go dog walking for unlimited time!!!

Don't have a new camera yet. I'm still making art, though. Shifting gears for kid's summertime and just making art for me right now. The reality is... I can't stop making art. I can't NOT do it. It's too much a part of me. I saw a great poster on Etsy, exactly at the right time. It said: "I just want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares." Sounds kind of sad and funny... it resonates. I always go back to Corita Kent and her rules for art. My fave: "The only rule is work." So, I will work.

Celebrate the Solstice!

Illustration for the corgi book that is slowly being completed. (linocut)

Wow, the longest day of the year... and the beginning of new things. I've been painting on canvas on the easel... alongside 2 other artists. (we have tandem easels!) Sharing the paintings would be nice except some little elf broke my camera and... well, it's complicated.

Check out our daughter's new flip flops... golden like the solstice with butterflies. Perfectly summer. Dance around a midsummer bonfire or campfire tonight!

Planting by the Moon

Here is a new art quilt I've been working on. I actually did the drawing when I made the Mermaid quilt a few months back. But... I've been suffering from feelings of 'where am I going? what am I doing?' with my art. I haven't had many shows lately and am starting to re-evaluate why I do art and should I keep working hard on it without many prospects. Guess I need to get out there and make new connections! Or maybe just stop.

Hopefully I can get out of this funk or maybe it's a bridge to somewhere else. Then comes the commitments to home and family... and the time that takes and how important it is to cultivate that side of life. Hmmn. Just thinking out loud. Thanks for listening.

After the Party

Our son turned 8 about a week ago and these are the remnants of his 'first party'... the family party. (minus the train pile-up which he created to make room for the new toys and books he set up in photo no. 4 :) Yesterday was his 'kid party' where they played many field games, got hot, sweat and thirsty... played many more and finally pooped out. But, after drinks, chips and cake the kids were quickly resurrected. Oh to be 8 again!

Now that the party's over the girls in the family are treating ourselves to an outing. We are go to the Farm Chicks. Can't wait! Happy Sunday.