Ancient Inspiration

oil painting, 12"x 12", Release

Painted straight on to canvas, no sketch, and totally inspired by our Saturday at LACMA.  Must see  Art of the Ancient Americas  the gallery alone is so cool, designed by Jorge Pardo.

Giraffes for Haiti- Sunnyside

Giraffes for Haiti- Sunnyside, a set on Flickr.

Giraffes make a great lesson in composition. The kids have to fit the whole guy on the page! Make room for the long neck AND the long legs. These 3-5 year olds amaze me every time. Then I gave them some little stamps to make the pattern, and the emphasize the height of the giraffe we gave them some leaves to eat.

Pastels

After yesterday's pastel drawing of my Mom, I wrote a note in my sketch book this morning.  "Happy drawings or Sad drawings." Today I chose happy.

Starting

"Buds"

Drawing together

"Holding"

A beautiful messy fairy with a pet bee.

Illustration Friday- Faded

Faded

Unfortunately if you've been to my site before, you know what this one is about....
pastel on paper.  

My Mothers

Happy Mothers Day

"My Mothers" Oil on paper

She Answered the Phone

She Answered the Phone
oil on canvas
18" x 24"

This painting was inspired by my story, which held true in Joan Didion's story the Blue Nights.  About an important phone call.  Joan's daughter always talked about what would happen if she didn't answer the call.  My mother used to tell me my story...how she was cutting onions, and had to wash her hands, and almost...didn't make it to the phone.  But, she did, and that's how I became her baby girl.  And I loved to hear her tell me it.

Of course, there are always two sides to every story, and my empathy for my birth mother is still seared in my heart.

Flip

Metro Art

It was really fun to get recognized for this public art poster I did for Metro.  I loved meeting the other artists and having my best friend Barbie Pritchard come with me to take some photos.  To learn more about all the art work the LA metro has click right here.

It feels more official in black and white

Fancy calligraphy makes it even more official

hamming it up with the Mayor

Danny Heller

Zapporah Yammamoto (best name ever)

inside the public meeting

Front Door

Front Door

Here is a gouache and colored pencil piece, inspired by my 4 year old.  I love the way she makes houses. I just love them, so much, that I steal them and color them in myself.  She doesn't mind.  I wanted to go at this with the same way she does or how I would have drawn my house as a kid.  My house I grew up in is on the left, with my Mom opening the door for me.  The other house, is the house I might of lived in if I wasn't adopted.  As it turns out, my birth family was only two towns over from mine.

Gidget's Happy House

Quiddity revisited

"California"
My birth mother died just miles from where I live now in California.   I'm here now, but she's not.
Yesterday was her birthday. 

Well, so...I guess it goes on.  My constant search for identity, through my paintings.  I'm so happy to be back here.  I was inspired by the Wonderland show at LACMA,
http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/in-wonderland 

My girlfriend posted a "challenge" to make art over Spring Break.   So, I'm bringing my sketches about finding my birth family to life. As an artist I have many different styles, projects and passions.  But this style and subject (me) is where I started and where I think I will always land, if I have the confidence.  There are so many things that get in the way of  "voice".

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

This project was gifted to me at the last minute by my awesome fun, and creative guru Rachel Weaver at Imagine Art Studio.  Thanks Rachel!  I just showed them Lots of Dr. Seuss drawing, and we talked about how they all looked like Dr. Seuss drew them!  Even a wave, a fish, a thing, a lamp all had the same "style".  The 3rd graders loved talking about it and were so excited to create their own "Seuss" character.  Cut them out bubble style and pasted them onto a big parade going to a Birthday Party for Dr. Seuss.  

zebras

zebras, a set on Flickr.

I've been teaching at pre-school on Fridays. Today's lessong. Zebras!