Fresh off the presses

After being invited to be on a local television show in Mount Shasta, it was suggested to me that I create an on-line class for people who are interested in learning more about Walk in Your Own Footsteps. So, despite the fact that I don't know anything about making a video, I'm jumping in and learning the new skill! I created this piece of art to be part of the intro. My camera is due to come in on Friday, I'll let you know how it all goes. Life is so exciting! Full of twists and turns. :)

Playing dress-up with my vintage dress form :)

Full size view of my mannequin

I just love this mannequin I purchased last spring in the darling town of Diamond Springs, CA. She's been waiting for me to get my studio tidy enough to really appreciate her and now I'm ready to play dress-up with her. Today, I took off her Holiday attire in favor of something soft and sparkly. The tiara and crystal necklace look so pretty against the silky sparkly scarf I found at Empress on Main Street in Placerville. I tried it with and without the antique shoes. They're so cute, I included a picture, but I think I'll leave them off till I re-do her for Easter.

She still doesn't have a name.... Just haven't come up with the right one, yet. :)

Antique shoes with little hearts I found in Jackson, CA

A closer view of the jewels and birds.

An Ode to Coffee

First thing every morning, I think about coffee. I've been that way for as long as I can remember. My first memory of coffee was of my grandmother talking about going across the street and to have coffee and "visit" (code for gossip) with the neighbor that had this great window that looked out into the street and  of everyone's business. My grandmother lived in a neighborhood in Long Beach, CA that was always being annexed. It started out Long Beach, and was briefly Wilmington, Carson, Los Angeles, and finally returned to having a Long Beach mailing address. It was called the "Presidential Estates" which is really funny because they were all tiny bungalows, mostly no more than 1,000 square feet. Every day, just after breakfast, grandma would anounce that she was headed over to the Boone's for coffee. Strange, because she'd already drank a pot, but there she'd go...

At her house, I always wanted to try coffee. It smelled so good! She seemed to love it. I just had to give it a try. So, she filled this teeny tiny little cup with a drop of coffee, a teaspoon of sugar, and some milk. It tasted like coffee flavored candy! So sweet and yummy. I sipped at my little china cup and soon it was gone. As time progressed, I graduated to larger cups and a stronger mix, but my favorite way to drink coffee is still with sweetener and milk.

Working in hospitals through my teens cemented my addiction to java. I loved how we flouted convention and treated day no different from night. Coffee was a big part of that! If you're going to go to school in the day and then work all night, you gotta have your coffee.

When I was just 20 years old, I joined a fellowship which helps people who want to quit drinking alcohol. Let me tell you, that group loved it's coffee! I remember getting a cup at my first meeting over 25 years ago. I remember how the hot coffee sounded when it came in contact with the Styrofoam cup. I remember how my hand shook a little. I was reassured by an old-timer that the shaking would stop; and it did. To this day, I love to go to meetings and listen for the sound of hot coffee on Styrofoam, I find it comforting.

During my 30's I was introduced to Starbucks and fancy coffee drinks. I must admit I fell in love with the fat-free, sugar-free, vanilla latte! For Christmas that year I got an espresso machine. It didn't taste quite as good as the ones at the coffee shop, but it was wonderful to have it whenever I wanted and not pay a fortune for it. When my espresso machine finally died, I didn't replace it, though...

I guess, for me, what I love about coffee is the ritual of it. Setting up the coffee maker, waiting for it to brew, stealing a cup if I can't wait till it's all the way done. Although I've had some wonderful coffee in pretty fabulous places, there is just no coffee that compares to the first cup in the morning in my own kitchen.

The third Chakra Tree is complete!

Following a very busy and overwhelming December, I've finished the third painting in my Chakra Tree series. I was planning to do three paintings however, my daughter looked at all three together and asked, "Are you going to do Fall next?" The funny thing is I just painted each painting independently and didn't notice that they certainly do look like winter, spring, and summer. I haven't decided if there's a fall to be created. I was just enjoying have the three complete. :)

Life and other stuff

It sure has been a while since I had something fun to share here. My former husband of 20 years (Joe) was diagnosed with cancer in October and life has been pretty crazy ever since. I think we all must live with a belief that those who are close to us will continue to be there. If we focus on how much our friends and family mean to us, and how fragile we really are, I think we'd live in a state of fear. So, we go along confident that those we love will be there for a long time. Having Joe become suddenly and seriously ill, has been earth shaking for me and my whole family. I've been working hard at helping my children feel secure, and my business when I can. But, I openly admit, the kids come first. :)

As for art... I'm developing work in my imagination which I look forward to bringing into real life. When my mind drifts to scary thoughts when I'm going to sleep, I use my imagination to create beautiful pictures. It's fun, life affirming, and gives me ideas of images to create when I actually get to paint again. Following Thanksgiving, I'll be working on a new ornament for Christmas. A gallery that has invited me to do an art showing in April has asked me to participate in a Christmas ornament fund raiser and I'm ready for a new fun assignment. I'm planning to paint a special dove and then embellish printed copies to press between glass. Then I'll use the same method I use for the pendants to make an ornament. I can't wait to see them in real life! I'll post pictures when I get the first done.

Till then, Happy Thanksgiving!

One day at a time

Life has been more crazy than usual here at my house. My sweet ex-husband is sick with cancer and my sons are now with me full time. When he was healthy, their dad had them from Friday to Friday and we traded off. So, I was a 50/50 mom. Having them here all the time is a blessing, but it makes getting work done pretty tough. I can't imagine how single moms who work out of the home have time to get any thing done at home. Today Joe starts chemo, so we are praying that he'll be back up here in Northern Cali to enjoy his boys very soon!

As far as the art business goes, I've created a few new pendants from the art I've been painting. I have an opportunity to do an art walk (FOR FREE!!!) on Saturday and I'm looking forward to getting feedback from folks on the new stuff. I really love them and it's always interesting to see what other people love. I've been surprised by what gets people excited. Here's the original painting that I took the images from:

And, here are the pendant images that I used for pendants:

The second dove is from another painting in the same series. It's always interesting to see what other people see in our art work. I believe that the imperfections in art leave space for the observer to insert themselves and interpret from a personal place. While I admire artists who can recreate the world so perfectly that it looks like a photograph, I also appreciate a folksy style that leave lots of room for the observer to interpret.

A new series of paintings

I just love it when I wake up in the morning with fully formed creative ideas on my mind. Last week I had just such a morning. I had just bought a whole bunch of canvases at Aaron Brothers because they were 70% off!  Some of the canvases were a size I've never used before, 12x30. I didn't know how I would use them until I dreamed up this chakra tree idea. Since I love symbolism, I thought this would be super cool, if I could pull it off. My goal is to a three painting series (at least!)

In case you're not familiar with chakras, according to Wikipedia: Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. They include seven colors, starting with red at the base of your spine (root), orange for the sacral (reproduction, creativity), Yellow for solar plexus (gut), green (sometimes pink) for the hear (compassion, love), light blue for the throat (speak your truth), dark blue for the third eye (intuition), and white or purple for the crown (enlightenment).

I used these symbols and the tree to represent the human body. The first one I did in a primitive style.The second painting is in a bolder more whimsical style. I love them both and can't wait to work on the third.

Chakra Tree Prim

Chakra Tree Bold

My creative process

Today I've been thinking a lot about my creative process. I guess it's different for other people, but for me it is a wild ride. First an idea starts small in my mind. I visualize the project coming together and very often switch it around many times in my imagination. I thoroughly enjoy this process as it gives me a chance to make the project over many times without using any resources other than my time. I can change everything about the project, the colors, scale, etc. Finally, when I'm ready to commit my idea to canvas, start the quilt, begin to sculpt, or write it down, (depending on the kind of idea I'm noodling) I love the beginning. I'm thrilled as my vision begins to take shape...

Then, almost always at the half way point, I HATE it! It's wrong, what was I thinking? Since this always happens, I push past the middle point and begin to fall in love again. Once it's finished, (in the case of a painting) I sign it and put it up on the mantle. When I pass it, I have mixed feelings of love and displeasure as I see what I think are imperfections. Within a couple of days, the imperfections become my favorite parts and I no longer want to part with the project at all! :)

Here are my latest pieces. I'd love to hear your process, too!

Monarch on California Poppy (16x16) on the mantle.

Monarch on Sunflower II with Karen Wall Garrison's little gift

New butterflies just in time for my big show on Friday

I just finished these little paintings for the art show I'm doing on Friday. I'm so excited! Please stop by J27 Gallery between 2 and 9 this Friday, September 16. Check out my web site www.LauraPallatin.com events section for more info!