a. t. whim

I love the look of old carnivals. I can’t help it. The glamor, freak shows, side shows…. they’re so romanticized in literature and on the screen. I love the colors and sounds, roaming lifestyle. So lovely.

The image of carnivals came from a book I’m reading with my son called Barkbelly. It’s SO GOOD! We’ve only gotten to chapter 2. But I sneaked ahead, because I couldn’t wait to find out what happens. The carnival part only lasted for about 2 pages, but there was this beautiful black and white drawing of a large carnival tent. And it made me think of this other children’s book I read about a bearded lady that had a fling with a man with a really large nose. I can’t remember the title, but I’ll find out what it is because you all have to read it. And I’ll let you know how Barkbelly goes.

Tomorrow prints of this painting will go on sale in the shop. The original will have to hang in my living room for a little while before I can let it go.

Harold and Maude

Little nests

and the Great Escape…

There are so many things I would like to do these days. I wish I had 10 of me to do them all. I’m really loving working with these little nests and want to do more along these lines. But then I’m torn between playing with fabric or painting.

This month I’ve started planting many seeds for the garden (I know I’m a little late), suffered from back pain while digging in said garden, teetered on a ladder while painting a william carlos williams poem on a friend’s wall, nursed August back to health when he caught a nasty bug, started reading Alice in Wonderland again for inspiration, cringed when my little orange car’s brakes started making a frightening grinding sound and cringed again when I paid my mechanic to fix it, received a bread machine from a lovely person, almost tore out my eyes while finishing a portrait of a friend’s grandparents, and finally yesterday I gave myself a wicked cut on the finger that is making it difficult for me to hold a brush or type on this keyboard. But I’ve missed my blog so I’m dealing with the little twangs of pain. And I’ve missed my shop, and I hope to have more new stuff soon when my finger stops throbbing.

I thought that I would shut down my shop for a few days and just take it easy.  Then I realized I’ve got all kinds of work from friends that needs to be done in the next couple of weeks.  So my “vacation” will be spent painting, painting, and more painting.  Well, there are worse things.  I do like doing things for my friends, it’s a little different from the regular painting and selling.

But when I do steal a little time for myself, I’ve been playing with new ideas and creating some neat little things.  Here’s a peak:

They’re not quite done yet.  I still want to mount them on canvas and add a few things here and there.  I think they’re so much fun to make!  I also taught August how to play chess.  Now I’ve played more chess in the last couple of days than I ever played in the past.  It amazes me how quickly he picked the game up.

I went roller skating with some friends tonight!  YEAH!

My first time in 20 years, and I didn’t fall once!

But now I have to go to bed, and no more fun and games for a little while.  I have a lot to get done before I start up my lovely little shop again.  Hopefully, by the time I’m ready to open shop, I’ll have better archival paper for my prints and canvas paper as well!  Until then, have a good night y’all.