What this elf has been up to...

Raw felt hands...
a sanded down and painted hunk of pine
more raw wool...

What does this all add up to? Why is a painter working with these materials? I keep asking myself these things. The answer will come on February 13th. The day my show Opens at the Eric Schindler Gallery. Till then, I am going to be knee deep in wool and wood and yes even some paint. There will be paintings on sculpture, sculpture that is drawing and even regular ol' painting on canvas and painting on wood panels.
For now, I have to get back to being an elf...

onward!

Greetings from Seattle

Here are some Winter wonderland photos from the lovely and talented Cami who lives in Seattle. She feeds these Hummingbirds year round. They are weathering the unusual snowy conditions with the rest of the good folks of Seattle. That is a fig tree, figs wearing little snow caps.

Happiness!

Warm greetings from New Mexico

I am still getting Christmas card addressed to the people who used to live here. But we did get one addressed to us...yippy!
As I was saying the other day I love getting e-mails and photos from my pals who live far from me now. These are some photos from my dear friend Sally who now lives in NM. When I was out there last Winter I was supposed to visit this farm, but the friend who owns it, went away the day before I arrived. They raise Alpacas and have Llamas and Great Pyrenees Dogs to protect the alpacas from predators. The little mini horse is named Elvis (we had a cat named Elvis who was about the same size). Next time I visit I am for sure going to visit this amazing place!

My favorite Raptor

We have been seeing this guy just about everyday. He hangs out in our yard and we see him on the next block in the mornings on our walk. Sometimes he sits high up in a tree or on top of a telephone pole. One day he was just 5 feet from Frankenstein and I, sitting on someones mailbox. I say hello and ask him to please not eat the Chug.
This morn he was sitting on the log thingy I made for Truman our lizard to sun on. Later I found a mass of downy feathers in that spot. Usually we get a warning from a group of big black crows who chase the raptors away and warn all the birds one is hunting. Once he has eaten one the the birds who come to feed, the other birds will come right up to him. They all go back to feeding as if he didn't just devour one of their own. It is just business or lunch in this case.
You can tell it was a cold day, by how fluffy he is. Gorgeous!

Frankenstein Friday

He is singing your favorite song! But all that singing makes a Chug thirsty. Have a lovely weekend y'all!

Ray's boys

My good friend Ray sent me this photo of his boys. Aren't they great?! He rescued both of them at different times, but they look like brothers. I hope to meet them in person some day.

As usual I am a busy little elf. It seems every year at this time I am compelled to make stuff. This year it is just more intense because there is a show at the end of this rainbow. But in years past I have always made things for the people most important to me. Last year I made the Beeman prints. This year I have been getting lots of great photos from friends, like Ray, via email. That help in keeping me connected.

But here is the rub. We have been getting Christmas cards in the mail just about everyday, except for one thing...they are all addressed to the people who used to live here! We got 3 other cards but they are all work related, (so I don't think they count). I am not begging for cards, and I am not sending any this year. I am just wondering if it means any less to folks to get end of the year greetings in their in-box rather than their mail box?

My answer is, I love my e-card and photos and nice little notes my peeps send me...I don't need the cards that I feel too guilty to throw out and end up saving. Yep, I have boxes of old cards. But, getting someone else's sparkly envelops, with fancy writing, letters that are not bills or silly offers, makes me feel so sad. Like Scrooge left behind at the big empty school while all his classmates are riding away in horse draw carriages to warm family holidays. The loneliest girl in the world...or maybe if Scrooge had email he wouldn't have been so grumpy...

In any case, thankfully, I have Ray's boys to cheer me up!

Work work work....is boreing the Chug

I have been super busy pulling things together for my show in Feb. I have a few plates spinning right now: Building, sanding and priming boards to mount the paintings on. Finishing bases for the Globes. Sanding then finishing a Pine log for the half Globe to rest on and a few other smaller projects that just need tweaking.
We finished up the last of our Holiday eating requirements. I swear each year I vow not to succumb to the pressure....but once again I have eaten ridiculous amounts of rich foods and deserts in a short span of time. Last night The Big Head and I took charge and put an end to the madness. We went grocery shopping and got all healthy foods. But as we reached the last few isle of the Super, we kind of lost it and some ice cream and cheese cake found their way into our cart.

We saw some live music this past weekend. Now that is the kind of nutrition I need more of! I loved it! Mutards and El Presidente=rock.

It was 70 outside yesterday so Truman got to roam around the yard.

Frankenstein is board with me. All I do is work and get covered in sawdust...no fun...no Zaz!
Zaz is my new favorite thing and I am using the term as much as possible....so put some, zazzel in your day!...zaz it up!..don't be boring like me.