A New Chance at Life

Every once in a while I really don't like what I paint. Not often because I'm really flexible with my expectations of myself, but at times I can't help but feel like I want to crumple my paper up and toss it in the recycling bin.

I had that feeling a few weeks ago, but I fought the urge thinking that maybe, just maybe, the piece would grow on me.

Well, it didn't. So I decided to chop that painting up into four pieces, layer some acrylic on top, and see where it took me. My Phyllis piece from yesterday was one of the pieces. I liked it MUCH better than before. Today's is also one piece. Only with this piece I left one small portion of the original. And now that part I hadn't liked before...well, now I rather dig it.

So, yeah, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and all that stuff, right? So fun giving my work a new chance at life.

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I Only have Eyes for Worms

A shift has occurred in the chicken space continuum.

It used to be that I'd walk in our chicken yard and only Phyllis would come-a-runnin'. Well now Barry, Maury, and Ernie come-a-runnin', too.

"What happened?" you ask.

Well, I'll tell ya what happened.


I started lifting some of the pavers we have out in their yard and exposing the fabulous delicacy that earthworms are. I did this a few times over several days and now I'm officially the Worm Lady in their sweet little beady chicken eyes. I swear all they see is a big earthworm in tennies.


I'm good with that. I'm feeling' that chicken love.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Skirted

I made Dave a skirt today. It's fabulous, black, and pleated. And he loves it. I've actually made him about five skirts over the past few weeks.

Mind you, he won't be wearing them, his projection screens will. Not that the guy doesn't look great in a skirt...I've had a couple of Halloweens to witness that. Before I knew Dave I had no idea that projections screens needed skirts much less wore them. So the fact that I can sew (I'm really good at a straight stitch) was a perfect match for the fact that Dave has a bunch of screens that were nekkid.

There will be no more indecent screen exposure 'round these parts.


This is a new section of the graffiti wall in my hallway.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Houses of Love

I make mom threats. It's true. And a lot of them are empty. You know how it goes. And here is one of my biggest ones.


Me: "You need to put all your clean clothes in drawers, not on the floor or in a pile on top of the chest, or I'm going to stop doing your laundry!!!"


And their clean clothes just kept right on not being in their drawers and I kept right on cleaning 'em.


But something has happened lately. My big guy has started doing all of his own laundry. And it's not like he's just throwing it in the washer and leaving it there (instead of not in his drawers) for days on end. Nope, he's staying on top of it, switching it to the dryer, and then taking it to his room. It's awesome!

Now just when I'm starting to think, "Hey, responsible wonderful kid, stay a while longer," he's getting set to move out.

And the words, "I'm not going to come home to do my laundry because I'll have machines in my apartment," make me just a bit misty.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

My Best Friend is a Big Yellow Ball

Last night our big dog, Hazel, jumped on our bed. This is her usual routine when she sees us starting to brush our teeth and don our PJs. Only this time it was different. This time she had her yellow tennis ball with her and she curled right up with it. Perhaps she's wanting to continue fetching well into her dreams. Perhaps she misses her best bud Scout.

It's nice to know that friends can come in many different forms...even spherical.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Phyllis Goes to School!

Phyllis is growing up. She went to school today for the first time ever. She put on her backpack, packed her lunch, and went to her classroom. OK, so she didn't exactly do all that, but she did go to school with me today. And Barry went to school with us, too.

I was Farmer Parsons today. I donned my overalls, put my hair in pigtails, gathered up Phyllis and Barry, and headed up to school. Barry was the first out of the carrier. She was wonderful, delightful, and a tad nervous. Phyllis came out next. And that girl calmly sat on my lap for close to thirty minutes while I talked about chickens and let more than thirty four-year-olds take turns petting her. She was in chicken heaven!

Pretty sure that when I get up in the morning Phyllis will be dressed and ready to go with me.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Firefly...Shining from Within

I found myself incredibly inspired by an article I read a few weeks ago. It was about a little girl and her mom and seeing that we all have a light that shines from within. Read the article, this mom says it so perfectly and so much better than I could ever hope to.

It got me thinking. We all have that something that we love or something we're passionate about. Or a kindness about us that we share with others. Something that you wouldn't necessarily know about a person, but it's still there, shining from within. I've taken to looking at people and wondering just what their superpower is, what makes them shine. It's shifted how I move through this world. From assuming that everyone is just busy doing their ordinary (perhaps boring) thing to looking at that guy crossing the street and wondering if he's a sculptor. Or that lady in line in front of me and wondering if she loves to dance when she's home alone. Or if that kiddo sitting alone is totally into Legos and has the most amazing structures in their room.

It's much more fun seeing life through firefly lenses.


I released my own inner firefly and let her land on my graffiti wall in my hallway.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!