My Studio is a Mess!

Too much stuff!! My fear is that when I move to the larger studio space in the barn, I'll accumulate more stuff!!!
Today is the start of organizing, sifting and cleaning in el studio. When I'm feeling really bad about all the paintings stacking up and feeling sorry for myself for no sales and I'm totally losing perspective on this "art life"; I dramatically say to myself that the solution is to just stop painting, give all the paintings, supplies, materials away!
But.
My inner, wiser, saner and rational self steps in and tells me how painting is inherent and integral to who I am. How I'll never stop painting even if I never sold a single thing again. I paint to paint. For the sheer joy of it. The pleasure of playing w/ colors, textures. Capturing the landscape of Ohio in my way.
How the colors change daily. EXQUISITENESS (don't know if that's a real word but it works)
Off to clean!

Dumplings

Dumplings. This daughter of all Irish descent on both sides (we have beautiful family names; Cavanaugh, Callahan, Fitzgerald, Walsh, O'Connell) grew up eating traditional Thanksgiving meals with the usual menu. It wasn't until I married into a Czechoslavakian (also known as Bohemians or Bohunks) family (Sedivy means gray in Czech) that I was introduced to the Dumpling--the main event at Thanksgiving. This food was a mystery to me. But revered by the Sedivy's. The irony is that my future mother in law made the dumplings. She, Mary Jane Mulcahy, a French-Irish girl from Providence, Rhode Island. She made them well. She learned from her mother in law who immigrated here from Czechoslovakia.
Served with Sour Kraut, gravy. No mashed potatoes necessary. I fell in love with dumplings! They don't really have a flavor, its all about the texture.
28 years later, she oversees and taste tests while her son makes the dumplings aided by her grandchildren.
2, 2 and 2. or for the big meals 6, 6 and 6. (flour, eggs, potatoes.)




The food is fantastic!!



Done.



Dumplings sink. Digesting is sooo necessary before round 2. Dessert.



Woody and I felt just fine.



I really love Pork instead of Turkey with sour kraut and dumplings. I guess I'm Bohemian through osmosis or in some weird gastronomic way.

New Paintings (that didn't go to the Holiday Open House)

Okay, it's the worst when you cram too much into a short time period. I thought I was fully prepared for last Sunday's Holiday Open House until I painted this painting on Friday night. I liked it enough that I decided it should be at the Open House. By Saturday night it was dry enough in most areas to apply a coat of liquin. Which I applied. A few areas started to smear, so 'wisely' I decided to do the rest in the morning before the show. I got up early, allowing a few hours before I had to leave. (read the Sunday paper, drink coffee, do some yoga). I applied the liquin in the areas that needed it and the painting was still wet. Smear. I touched up the areas that smeared and left it alone. Even though it was still wet, I decided to bring it anyway and I put the painting face up in a shopping bag w/ handles. I got the car loaded w/ all my stuff and grab the bag w/ the painting and head out the door, realizing on the way out that I'm hungry. I grabbed a few chips ahoy and started munching on one as I'm headed out the door. Get to the car, put the bag in and glance down at the painting to see it covered in chips ahoy crumbs. urgggh. I was able to flick most of them off, but then scratched the paint surface. This painting wasn't meant to be sold on Sunday. It needs some restoration work...what is seen below is pre-'mar in a hurry and hungry'.

Morning Oil on panel 6 x 12 175.00

In my hurry to leave for the open house, I left this painting sitting on the easel in my studio. Freshly framed, ready to go, all liquined and dry to boot. Another painting not meant to be sold or seen on Sunday.

Orange Oil on Canvas 17 x 21 Framed 350.00

Holiday Open House

Jewelry is the stuff I make to help support the painting habit. Actually I like making jewelry and have made it on and off for a while. Occasionally I'll do a show or art festival where I'll sell jewelry and paintings. Today only jewelry sold. It's ok that paintings didn't sell--I'd like it if one or more had--but something usually comes from a show where there seems to be nothing. It might be a connection, an invitation, a future sale.

A friend (Liz) of my sister's has an annual holiday open house at her home in westlake. Always a nice event with great gift items and really good food. Liz is a caterer, she had a delicious black bean hummous, gorgonzola cheese pie, green beans with a delicious curry dip....Marilyn (my sister, but not the one who is a friend of Liz) enjoying the great food surrounded by well, my art. Marilyn is like a manager to me. She helps with all the shows and seems to like doing it. (do you, Marilyn?)Today she helped me and another sister (not the one who is friends with Liz--that one was home on her couch with a flu bug that is lasting for days)at the holiday open house. Kathy, the other sister Marilyn helped sells beautiful photographs, most often images of Ireland. I'm happy to say the three of house have travelled there together, along with Kathy's daughter. Kathy took pics, I painted. Marilyn took pics too--hers are good!
Today the three of us had fun selling our art, but mostly being together, I wish the 4th sister had been there too!

Following a Dream

muggsi is one of my best friends. she has dreamed and talked about living in the arizona desert for as long as i've known her...(i was sixteen, waiting tables at a local coffee shop. she was a horse person. she offered me a peanut m & m, i preferred plain she claimed the plain ones aren't real m & m's. the beginning of a long friendship started.) we raised our kids together, swimming, camping, taking them birding with us, canoeing, and to pow-wows. throw in a couple of blues festivals too. she is an artist, music lover and has a great singing voice.
she was always ready to do anything at any time. she lives life in the moment.
now she'll be living the moments in her beloved desert outside of tucson. the dream is a reality. next plan is to build a straw bale house and use the spare room as a b & b. invite the birders and artists to stay...she'd act as tour guide....hmmm....birding and painting in the southwest. i don't know about you, but i'm there! and knowing muggsi, she'll have that b & b built before you know it.