2 Men and a Baby

I was gitty with excitement for 2:00 on Sunday afternoon to come around.  I had plans with my new friend, Lisa, to meet for a glass of wine, appetizer and some much needed adult conversation at Laurienzo's.  That morning meant running a few errands before we met up...so off I went, leaving Leila at home with the hubs.

When I returned from running errands I found my husband about to jump out of his skin, "Marc is on is way over!"  (Marc is his childhood best friend who has been on a submarine the majority of the last 3 years).  I'm thinking, what happened to Father/Daughter time while I am having Mother/Friend time?  But I kept my mouth shut, I could see the 12 year old in my husband shining inside.  And that made me happy.

20 minutes later Marc arrived.  With a 6 pack of beer.  A cigar.  And a frozen pizza.  Oh my Lord, what is going on?, I thought.  But I stayed quiet and looked at my sweet, innocent baby girl's face as she stared at Uncle Marc.  "It will be ok sweetheart, Mama will only be gone for a short time." 

Marc adores her!  It is the sweetest thing to see your husband's buddies love on your baby.  When I got home, it appeared I had been replaced.  (And if this is the result of two best friends getting together over a few beers, pizza and a baby while Mama gets her girl time...I'm ok with it):

Fire Engine Red Sky

I doused the "Changing Seasons" piece I was working on with turpentine this morning after a frustrating attempt to try to get myself to like it.  Glad I did...no wonder Art Therapy is so successful. 

I felt so much better after painting in a loose and gestural form.  Here's the result:  a chunky, vibrant landscape that is equally interesting because of its unique frame. 

3 feet wide x 5 inches high and 2.5 inches deep

Hello Lovely Day

5 months, where have they gone?

Tomorrow will mark Leilani Maxine's 5 month birthday!  Whewww...what a roller coaster ride it has been.  I can't believe how the time has flown and how incredibly our lives have changed.

Here are the top 10 things I have learned from becoming a mother:


1 )   Everyone was right.  It is the most difficult, but most rewarding job in the world.  I have never done anything harder in my life and never will.

2 )  It is perfectly normal to say 20 times in one day, "Lord, please help me."  I sometimes back that up with, "No, really.  I am begging you."

3 )  It will be the only time in life when you can blow in someone's face and they will laugh incessantly and want you to do it over and over again.

4 )  It becomes second nature to cry over every child on television who has suffered hardship.

5)  Mother's guilt is the worst guilt and I don't think it ever gets easier, it only makes you a better mother.

6 )  You learn to laugh at yourself when you and your husband have become "that couple" with the crying child that everyone is staring at.

7 )  There are days when you feel like you have been thrown in the washing machine and hung out to dry while the world around you keeps going. 

8 )  The pride you feel when you take your child out for the first time is like no other.  And it only gets better.

9 )  A whole new love for your husband develops when you see the amazing father you knew he would be when you married him.

10 ) There are snippets of life that you will cut out and put in your pocket and cherish forever.  Dancing with my newborn baby girl, sleeping cheek to cheek in the whee hours of the morning, giving her zerberts, watching her smile for the first time, seeing her love our dogs, watching our parents adore her, seeing her become her own little being. 

Becoming a mother has been difficult, amazing, emotional and incredible.  But I've also learned its important to keep your sense of self, thus my blog and my art.  Thank you to everyone for all of your support and for reading!

No one can ever prepare you for becoming a mother, that's for sure.  And I wouldn't change a thing.

To change or not to change?

I've decided it is unacceptable for restaurants to not offer changing tables.

Back in my college, waitressing years I remember a new father yelling at me for there not being a changing table at the Macaroni Grill where I worked.  I couldn't understand why he was so angry and yelling at ME!  What could I do?  In my young, motherless mind I thought, what a creep! 

But I totally get it now.

There have been multiple times in our daughter's young 5 months of life where we have had no where to change her. Today being the most recent.  We had our first liesurely mother/daughter lunch...strolled downtown, took in the beautiful weather and enjoyed getting out of the house just sitting in a restaurant...finally, after a long Winter!  But, when she began to get fussy and I knew she needed to be changed there was no changing table and we had to rush home.

Just two weeks ago we met my husband for lunch on a particularly cold day.  By the end of lunch, there was no changing table and I had a 40 minute drive ahead of me...it had to be done.  We could either subject her to the frigid cold and uncomfortableness of changing her in the car, OR change her on the floor of the back of the restaurant where she could be "hidden" on her little mat I religiously carry now (Thank you Grandma and Auntie Carly for this shower gift!)

Luckily, it was after the lunch rush...but why should she have to lay on the floor of a restaurant to have her diaper changed?  I mean, seriously.  After all, she is a human being just like all us adults who can't seem to install changing tables in public bathrooms.  When a waitress rounded the corner and "intruded" on us...she gasped in surprise and then giggled in embarrassment. 

I thought to myself, you aren't the only one embarrassed lady.  It's disgraceful and totally annoying.

I just had to get that off my chest.  I feel for my little girl and just think babies should be given a certain level of respect.  Restaurants need to build bathrooms with enough room for a changing table and get over their cheapness by not installing them.

Ok, I'm done.

Changing Seasons

Working on a new oil based on the the changing of seasons and trees.  Hoping for a painterly, thick texture and vibrant colors when complete...it's a larger painting with a nice, deep gallery frame!  Looking forward to getting into this one and seeing what direction the painting takes me...will post more photos as it progresses.

Apples, Pears and Peas...Oh My!

I'm loving making Leila's food for her!  Its nice to know what is going into her little body.  And so fun!  Clearly you can see that by the pears she partly devoured and partly played with.  One problem is she likes to stick her entire fist in her mouth as she eats...hmmm, singing to her seems to be one distraction for this.  Any other suggestions will be taken.

Every little new experience is so incredible for her.  I love watching the surprise on her face once she sees, smells, eats, hears something new.  It allows me to rediscover it all over again myself and appreciate it in a whole new way.

On tonight's menu, peas and the color green!

Evangeline

Three of my paintings are now hanging at Evangeline in downtown Frederick, MD.  Such a beautiful store...it takes you straight to France the moment you walk in the door with all its vibrant colors and the smell of lavendar.  Its so refreshing to see a local store thrive and pull through these tough economic times, Evangeline has been in business 13 years this Summer!

Anyone interested in purchasing, please contact Evangeline at 301 624 5500

Merci beaucoup!

City Stars

Working on a new oil.  I love the way the lights of a city can contrast against the dark night sky and the stars can look like they are gently dangling, as if each one was purposely placed there.  Just getting started, but I'm loving the color scheme so far...almost exactly how I imagined it.

Also love the colors of the flowers my husband gave me for Valentine's Day.  Still enjoying them, I've cut them down to go into small vases now, they are beautiful:

Letting Spring In

I want to apologize to all my blog followers for the delay in posts this past week.  My computer is down at the moment, hopefully it will be up and running again this week (keeping fingers crossed)!  I have lots of new things I am working on, so I'm anxious to get some photos up for you.

I've completed the painting inspired by the book, Each Peach Pear Plum.  16" x 12" oil on canvas.  I think we are all wishing to be able to open up our windows and let the fresh air in these days!  Leila and I were so thankful for two beautiful days this past week.  We got out, took a few long walks, strolled downtown, got coffee...it was wonderful!  She fell asleep in her stroller at one point, so I just kept on walking...turned into a two hour walk in the fresh air and I felt like a new person.  Come on Spring, we are ready for you!!!

On an other note, Leila is officially eating rice cereal and loving this new mush that has entered her world.  So much so that she has learned to spread it all over her face and laugh out loud at her accomplishment...oh, here comes feeding her naked and baths after each meal :)

I love it.

Happy Valentine's Day

Look at the pretty dress my MeMe and Bapa sent me for Valentine's Day!  It magically arrived in this box with my very own name on it and I was very excited to open it this morning.  Also in the box was a gift for Mama, she said she was going to get something called a "massage" with it.  Not sure what that is, but it sounds like fun! 

Lot's of love to everyone on Valentine's Day :) xo

We are HOME

Leila and I took a road trip to visit her Auntie Julie and cousins this week...she is clearly down for the count now that we are home!  Such a fun trip..we played Star Wars, sang songs, went to the library, ordered Sushi in one night, made Valentines and laughed a lot :)  Leila did a great job in the car too, a 4.5 hour drive...we were quite the brave duo.  Glad to be home though...we both missed Daddy and the dogs.  And I missed painting for a few days. 

BUT, I came home to these fabulous new frames my dad made for me (thanks, Dad!).  Sooo excited to buy material for them and get started on some new projects!

Each Peach Pear Plum

is one of my favorite childhood books.  I was reading it today to Leila and it brought me right back to when I was little.  The illustrations are so sweet, reminds me of being in a little English cottage.  One of my very favorite things is the first day of Spring when it is warm enough to open all the windows and bring the outdoors in.  This illustration reminded me of just that and inspired me to start a new oil today, here we go:

Also finished the leaf painting today!  11 x 14 oil on canvas.  Edges are painted a midnight blue acrylic with polycrylic finish:

Why waste?

Since my husband and I made the decision that I would stay home to raise our daughter, we have learned to save money in ways we would never have thought, had I continued to work.  Simple things, like using every scrap of food to make a casserole just so we aren't wasteful and throwing away perfectly good food.  Or, why not cut dryer sheets in half...hey, you get twice the use out of them.  I love using coupons now, such an easy way to save. 

Its become almost like a game..how resourceful can we be this month?  And, I'm not embarrassed about it at all...in fact, I find it to be quite liberating.  It's my way of contributing in some small way to the whole green movement.  Living in one of the most expensive areas in the nation, I wish I had started this years ago.  I've learned to not take anything for granted and I feel fulfilled by much simpler things in life now.

Today I found a nifty new tool that I can clamp onto the end of my tubes of paint and squeeze every last oz. out!  I can't wait to use it...and all the paint the tube can hold.

Here, my clumpy, colorful paints are displayed.

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

Last night was our first family movie night!  Leila was happy as a clam with her buddies next to her as we put in Alice in Wonderland, one of my favorites.  But, I remember the 1984 version from when I was little...not the cartoon version, there is a big difference. 

As we watched, the mother in me couldn't help but worry that maybe Alice in Wonderland wasn't the best choice for her first movie.  Of course I don't want our daughter to learn to eat things that make her hallucinate, chase rabbits down scary holes or do whatever anyone tells her to do, just to see what happens.  I made the comment to my husband this morning that maybe Alice in Wonderland is just one movie out of the Disney collection that appears to have been made while under the influence. 

Apparently I need a lesson in Disney movies, he said that Fantasia is just as strange...just without words.  The words worry and Disney don't seem to go together, is this normal motherly worry or just my subconscious?

Also, an oil I started yesterday.  While watching last night, I noticed how similar the design is to the foliage found in the animation of Alice in Wonderland. 

And lastly, Leila just getting a kick out of herself  :) 

Poppy Field Dream

Just finished!  15" x 20" oil on canvas

At work today

on the poppy painting as it is making progress...its been a tedious one but I am loving the dream like quality and the contrast in colors.  It would be a sweet piece for a little girl's room.  Hope to have it done today...

My mind keeps on going to this koi fish painting which I started a few years ago and never quite finished.  It was inspired by a trip to Hana, HI, the hotel we stayed at had these huge koi fish in the pond outside.  Painted on a burlap textured canvas, its a large oil, 50" x 38" x 3" deep.  I think this may be on my list of upcoming projects to complete.

And, here, my little angel likes fish too and wears them quite well...dontchya think?  Here she is hanging out with me while I paint.

Poppy, please

Last night was met with little sleep.  Leila was up several times to nurse and when her little eyes would finally close, my mind was racing with new ideas and images of paintings in my head.  But, my creativity had to wait until after we ran a few errands this morning, one being a trip to the mall.  Leila loved all the lights and I didn't mind all the oohs and ahhs from strangers over her cuteness.  I would politely say "thank you", but secretly I was beaming with pride inside.  By the time we got home it felt like we had been through a marathon...running errands just isn't the same with a baby in tow.  Probably because I literally am running...hmmm.  I would just rather stay cozied up at home reading books and playing, but I guess life must go on.

Here is the beginning of one of my middle of the night visions.  Just getting some color on the canvas right now.  But, when complete I'm hoping for a poppy field that will look so refreshing you will want to become the very girl in the painting to smell them all for yourself.

Complete

I love how sometimes a painting can just be about shapes and color.  I have family in Hawaii and the shapes and lines in this painting remind me of the canoes my uncle and cousins surf there.  If you look closely, the arbitrary shapes have also formed a fishing boat and a sail boat in the rough waters.

Oil with acrylic trim and polycrylic finish trim   8" x 10" x 1.5" deep

A recent photo also of my family surfing at Keei...pretty cool.

Ocean

Listening to my new Beatles CD, Live at the BBC, and working on a new painting on this chilly Saturday...

Tea for 6

I had coffee with a new friend this morning...she is going through all the same changes in life as I am, a new mom to an adorable 2 month old little boy.  It was so nice to have adult conversation and what better way to start the day...I had plans to finish my tea painting as soon as I got home and put a very
tired little girl to bed.  Voila!

24" w x5" h x 2.5"d  acrylic on canvas with polycrylic finish

Daniel Merriam

is one of my favorite artists.  My sister and I had the pleasure of viewing one of his shows in San Francisco a few years ago.  We both purchased a signed copy of his book, The Impetus of Dreams, and it is something I will always treasure.  Often, when Leila awakes from a long nap and she looks like she is reentering the world, I will ask her, "Did you dream of castles and gardens and faraway lands?"

I imagine her dreams to be much like the incredible watercolors of Daniel Merriam.

What a way

to greet the morning...talk about inspiration!  Good morning world :)

Little Tea Cups

I love these darling little cups!  Back when I had my shop in downtown Frederick, I sold the Tracy Porter line, and ofcourse, I snagged a few of them for myself and still love their delicate design.  I call them my Alice in Wonderland cups and coffee is that much sweeter when I use them.  I've been inspired to create a painting just based on tea cups, very simple...lined in a row and wrapped around the frame.  Here is the beginning of what will hopefully become a very lovely little painting.  (the size of this painting is so different...my dad made the frame himself!  Thanks, Dad)

The moon

was beautiful tonight (look closely)

Making progress...

but still not complete. The paint is very thick and I'm getting excited to see how it will turn out. Interesting how you have a vision in your head and as you begin to paint, the paint brush takes on a life of its own.

Growing, Changing, Learning

Working

on a large oil piece right now...with a built in critic :)

Sketching

Pencil drawing from photo of Katelyn in her 1st birthday dress...a surprise Christmas gift!