What is a gift?

    Okay, so I want to paint 'gifts'. I have some hard and fast rules when it comes to gift giving. I just can't always remember them. So, in no particular order:

1. A gift should never be a burden. Meaning that it should fit smoothly into the recipient's life. A surprise puppy, for example, is not the best idea.

2. A gift should never be more about the giver than the recipient. No, 'Look at me, I am so generous/talented/blah blah blah.'

3. A gift should be specific and personal to the person you are giving it too. No gift cards (well sometimes), no re-gifts, no 'this kind of works'.

4. A gift should be something the giver themselves value. This is just for personal gratification. I hate giving gifts that don't excite me.

There may be more rules. I don't remember them all, all of the time. And I love giving presents. I love giving the perfect gift. This last falls a little close to rule #2, as it involves my pride, but it also spreads over into #3, and the joy of just getting it right. I always want to make the gift-ee happy.

So,  by this criteria I am unable to paint generic gifts for an audience that I have never met. Ergo, I shall have to paint specific ones.

Another list:

1. Gifts don't have to be physical things. Gifts can be time, in its many forms.

2. I too receive and value gifts. I could draw on my favorites for inspiration.

3. Gifts have to do with people and hands. They are about a human connection, making things, and reaching out.


Mostly, I just need to stop fussing and start painting. Time to suck it up and make mistakes :)

 

So little time...

  We all feel the crunch of time. It is slippery and hard to hold. Sometime I get so overwhelmed by all of the things that I want to read and make and do and see that I almost despair, for I know that no matter how long I live, I will never have enough time. And behind that panic, once I calm down, I find this kind of beautiful. There is so much potential, so much worth exploring. I love this world most days. I think that I may even like the majority of people in it. Ha.

  But right now I have a problem. I have a show coming up in December. I should be producing work for it right now. And I can't. My mind is as blank as my canvases.

  I partially know what I want this show to be: small to medium sized canvases that are reasonably priced and convenient to hang in a home. I think that it is important to be aware of one's audience, something that the art world is often arrogant or defiant about. I digress.

  I want them to be framed, finished looking works. I want them to be gifts. I want to make a show of Christmas gifts. Things that are pretty and comforting and warm, but have a depth to them. Now what the hell does that mean? What does that look like? Sigh. I have no idea and I am slowly running out of time.

My Favorite Things: Earrings take 2

  I love these. Duh, they wouldn't be here if I didn't. Anyway, these lovely oak leaves were a spoils of war, victory find at a thrift store. They cost me $1.50, which makes me feel like a victorious hunter-gatherer.

  Really, the first thing I love about these earrings is the way they look. They are delicate, detailed and subtle. They were cast from real oak leaves, are a lovely green gold, and I get tons of compliments on them when I wear them. So far these compliments are all from women (just as a side note). So other people like the look of them as well.

Two: I love that I found these, that they were cheap, and I scooped them up before someone else did. HEAR ME ROAR!!!!!

Three: I love that they are made from some sort of nice metal. I don't know what, but I suspect at least silver. They don't make my ears sore. Yay.

What I don't like:

The edges catch on scarves and my hair. They are not quite comfortable enough to wear on a very long day.

My Favorite Things: Earrings, edition 1

  So, a little less than a year ago I had my ears pierced for the first time. As a twenty-something female, this is deemed unusual, but I was perfectly happy with my naked ears for most of my life. But then I began thinking about earrings a little more often. I make them, and how can I make decisions about my products if I don't know what is a positive tribute, and what might be negative? 

  And there were several pairs of earrings that I found, loved and just couldn't bring myself to give away to someone else. I kept these, still thinking I would never pierce my ears. I didn't need the extra hassle, I told myself. I didn't wear the jewelry I already owned, I didn't want to clutter up my life or routine with more... and so on. And then I got them pierced, and I love it. I love changing them out almost daily. They don't get in my way and come in so many fun varieties. I like how my face looks with them. And so on. 

  And now I am trying to revamp my creative process. I am not happy with the earrings I am making and I do not tend to wear any of my own creations. How to change, then? I thought I  would start by figuring out what it is about my favorite sets that I love, and go from there. 

Set 1: My birthday kitty pearls

  To be truthful, I had not planned to start with these. I had another set, that I just wore to a wedding in mind. But I lost these, tore my house apart looking for them, and was very sad about it. Today they were found! So in celebration, here they are. 

What I like about them:
      A. They were given to my on my birthday by one of my favorite people. Sentiment adds a lot to a piece for me. I am more likely to wear something that seems imbued with talisman-like power. It is just a little pick-me-up to wear next to my skin a reminder of someone I love, who also happens to love me.

     B. They are real, high quality. I love that they are real pearls. Something about the weight and luster is unmistakable. The ears and posts are sterling silver (this adds to extended wear, another bonus). Usually I am all about style over substance. I don't care if it is plastic, cardboard, etc, if I like how it looks. But pearls have always had a special place in my heart, and I love having a real set to wear, like a fancy lady.

  C. They are so cute!!! Ok, this one seems obvious but to delve a little deeper, and go back to the pearl thing a bit, I love that they are not just straight pearl earrings but have a little subtle detail to them that makes them special. I still feel they are appropriate for most occasions, work, weddings, funerals, etc, but they are a little more personalized.

D. Last but not least, the backs are smaller than normal earring backs, and I just think that is cute as well, plus the packaging was really nice. This seems silly, but it alters perceptions, so I am including it on the list.

Illustration Corner: March

  I have the great good fortune to work in the children's section of my local library. As you my infer from this information, I am also quite bookish. And I love picture books. I think they are magical and wonderful. Of course some are better than others, so when I happen upon one that is exceptional, I want to record and share my treasure. 

  This month I want to highlight Migrant, written by Maxine Trottier and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. First let me say that it is a sweet and whimsical story with a dash of historical and cultural influence. Ah, but the pictures. They stole my heart. I love quilts and quilt patterns to begin with, so I was very willing to be charmed by these. The exceptional part for me is how the patterns morph and are married to the text. 

  First we see flying geese, granted a slightly wonky, painted and cut-paper version. Then the geese break out of their neat rows and fly free, transforming into real birds... And these quilt patterns continue throughout the book, along with the theme of flying.

Flying is another of my favorite things, especially monarch butterflies. What a lovely, subtle visual metaphor for the life of a migrant farm family.

 

 So, to recap, this imagery very much appeals to me. It, in my opinion, enhances a story that otherwise might not appeal to me. It is whimsical, playful, traditional and delicate.