a. t. whim

What an insane week it’s been. After a whole week of Harry Potter mania, frantically painting and crafting, leading up to the midnight sale at Powell’s; I got on a plane the very next day and here I am in California feeling as if everything was a blur. I would’ve written sooner, but I’ve had my nose in the new Potter book for the last 3 days. And I just finished it about 2 hours ago. I think I’ll read it again, but more s-l-o-w-l-y this time! I do have a few pics for you to look at from our fabulous midnight event…..

This is the 21 foot by 14 foot archway I painted for the main entrance of our store. And I must say I’m pretty proud of the way it turned out! I didn’t have enough space to spread the whole thing out while I was painting it, and had to do it in sections. So after the grand unraveling, I’m VERY happy it wasn’t lopsided!

My favorite part is the lamp and the quill behind “Blotts”…

Here are a couple Monster Book of Monsters…

and here’s me, dressed as Dobby, face painting with 2 lovely people that don’t even work at Powell’s…

It was so much fun! And I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO incredibly grateful to the 2 people helping me, I think I would’ve cried if I had to do it again by myself. Unfortunately my camera ran out of memory after these few pictures and there is so much more to show you. I’ll have to borrow some pictures from someone else and post them here later.

I’m feeling a bit antsy not having my art supplies around me. I was trying to think of what I could bring on the plane, but I think most of it’s been labeled unacceptable. So here I am, on vacation, without my paints. I’m tempted to go to an art supply store and just get a few things. We’ll see.

By the way… Harry Potter was FABULOUS! and I won’t say anymore.

I’ve had a FANTASTIC weekend in my shop!  I love each and every one of my patrons, they pay me so I can keep doing all the things I love doing…  you are so wonderful!  And one of you noted that you found me on Apartment Therapy’s website!  I was so pleased!  Check out July 13th’s write up in the San Francisco edition.  There I am with my little spy girl, and the skinned knee of some very fashionable person, and the peach tree in a book!  All there for the world to see!

Here’s a closeup of my newest painting.  She almost looks like she’s sleep walking.  I  painted it on this new paper I just got called *Coventry Rag* and it’s sooooooooooooo nice.  It’s made from 100% cotton and I can’t stop feeling it.  It’s so pretty and I LOVE the way it holds up under acrylics!  Bristol wasn’t able to take much without starting to wear at the paper, and the corners of the illustration board would always bump.  But now I’m in love with Coventry…. it even sounds pretty.

OOOOOOOHHHH!!! the new Harry Potter book is less than a week away! I’m dying to read it! After working 13 years in bookstores, I’ve never been so excited (or seen half the world excited) about a book!!!! My store is having a midnight sale, and I’ll be there doing some face painting and then the next day it’s off to California with my new book in tow! YAY!

My friend and co-worker, Meredith, is having her bi-annual Handmade Bazaar while I’m gone. I’m upset I’ll miss it. It was so much fun last Winter and I love seeing and meeting the people buying my work! Well, there’s always the next winter Bazaar. But if you are in the Portland area on July 29th, you should go!!! There’s tons of wonderful crafters and artists, and Meredith works so hard to bring it all together! And the posters she made are so pretty….

Now it is time to mop my kitchen, and then try to finish a few paintings before I devote myself to the new Harry Potter book…..

Yesterday I got a little package from my lovely (and very talented) friend Portia. Enclosed were the nicest pair of socks a girl could ask for…

FRIDA SOCKS! I absolutely LOVE THEM! I want to wear them all the time.

Tonight I watched a movie that made me giggle like a school girl…
It was so cute and sweet, and so painfully cute and sweet, and then so disgustingly cute and pathetic and sweet. I especially liked the subway scene near the end, where he is sitting alone facing the little following he has on the other side. Reminds me of that long silent scene in an Evangelion episode.

Now class, I have a list of books for you to check out… because I think they’re fabulous and you should too!

Ms. Rubinstein’s Beauty by Pepe Montserrat is that bearded lady picture book I mentioned earlier.

Barkbelly by Cat Weatherill. And she just came out with a new book called Snowbone.

Arrival by Shaun Tan isn’t out yet. But I just happen to work in an awesome book store and got an advanced reader!!! It’s so amazing!!!! Shaun Tan’s work is spectacular as usual.

Horns and Wrinkles, by Joseph Helgerson, I’m reading at my lunches at work. I like the *rivery* things going on in it.  And the river trolls are so cute!
I feel that I should at least read one adult book this year. But working in the kid’s room has put a million children’s books on my reading list. I absolutely must, at the very least, read the newest Haruki Murakami book. That will be next, right after the new Harry Potter….

You bring me carrots and celery

you bring me carrots and ce-le-ryyyyyyyy….”

I’ve had that song stuck in my head all day long. So I drew a picture of it in cute manga style…

But before that, I painted this…

Originally I planned on doing it in ink, but then decided they needed softer edges. So I used watercolors (which I dread so much), and I think it turned out well! They’re both so soft and fluffy looking! Swans were one of the very first things I used to draw as a girl. I would start with a large rounded backwards “2″ shape because for some reason the swan always had to face to the right. And they never had feet, because I was afraid to attempt them.

Then I did this little windy scene…

which I am very pleased with since it started out as a doodle.

Now my weekend is over, and tomorrow it’s time to head back to the bookstore. I should get some sleep!

Happy Tuesday!

I am totally loving this bag I made during a sewing date with Angela. The best part are these buttons I found at Joanns!

They’re so cute! And on to more cute things…

Piggies after a bath:

They’ve been squealing away in that new fluffy hay all day long.

My favorite chicken comes running when she sees me…

hoping I’ll have some tasty treat for her, and this one was eyeing the camera strap wondering if it was edible…

All in all it’s been a *cute* day. Just for fun I googled my shop name “atwhim” and found my work on a few blogs! People blogging about me! It just made my day. YAY! I’ve got another roller skating date with some friends from work on Friday. I’m going to go hit thrift stores tomorrow and see if I can find some old school skates. Let’s see if I can make it through the night without falling again!

New work of the day…. Tree house :the house that jack built

The original sold earlier today, but I have prints available in the shop! Take care lovelies.

I finished my Frida nest. I wanted it to be predominantly blue so I could name it after her lovely Casa Azul. Right now I’m working on a big painting to cover a big white wall in my living room. Another bird themed painting, but this one’s a little different. It measures 30 inches by 30 inches and hopefully will look good on my wall. I have pics of it as soon as I’m done.
August came back from visiting California talking about “TOON TOWN!” and these things called Cogs. He drew me this adorable picture of a “round Cog” and I love it. It’s so angry and cute at the same time!

Last weekend I went to a baby shower and stole these little passion flower cuttings from the hostess’ neighbors yard. I couldn’t quite get the picture right. There was this perfect little spiral coming off of it and I couldn’t seem to get it to show in the pic. Oh well.

It’s been hot these last few days. Luckily we have a giant walnut tree blocking the sun from our house. And I just don’t know how I’ll survive visiting my family at the end of this month! Portland hot is like a warm breeze compared to the sweltering heat of Central California. It’s going to be HOT. BUT luckily the new Harry Potter book will be there to keep me company!!! I can’t wait! I’m such a Harry geek! At work I’ve been painting a 14foot by 21foot archway for the front doors of our store (renamed Flourish & Blotts for the occasion), and also designing a cage full of Hagrid’s biting textbooks. It’s going to be perfect. If you find yourself in the Portland area on the release night, come by the Beaverton Powell’s to check out all the work I’m been slaving away at.