back in the saddle

good morning! we're unpacking here from an excellent road trip to familiar places and faces, up and down the well-beaten path of I-35 (subtitled: that miserable piece of pavement). i love traveling, just about anywhere, old or new - i see and feel things differently when i'm outside of my daily routine and surroundings.

just heard two large thuds from upstairs, which means the kiddies are up, the chaos has started and my thinking time for the morning is now over. ciao and have a great day!

the sound of music

susie's cinema paradiso story got my mind spinning on the power of tunes, so here goes! what is: 1) a song that stirs a memory or fiddles with your emotional chords? 2) your favorite instrument, either to hear or to play? and 3) a concert you'll never forget?

p.s. yes i know this guitar has no bridge or strings. my kids beat the crap out of it.

a sweet day with carmen

carmen torbus is a creative fireball i've wanted to meet from the moment our paths crossed a few years ago. yesterday i got my wish! life brought her to kansas, and i got to rummage around in her imagination in person for an entire afternoon! we went to zen zero downtown for lunch, took a tour through the wonder fair art gallery and finished off the afternoon at pink box bake shop where we inhaled pastries and let the conversation drift on a thousand threads about art and life. if you haven't met carmen before, you'll love the verve and vitality of her world! her mind is forever spinning with spicy ideas, she always has something colorful baking in her art studio, and she's currently working on her first book, The Artist Unique, to be published next spring - a technique based guide to help others discover their creative groove and their own signature style. she is one of the most encouraging and supportive people i've met in the artist community and it was a thrill to finally meet her. what a delight of a day! thank you carmen!

summertime studio

montaigne said, "one should always have one's boots on and be ready to leave." couldn't describe me more perfectly when it comes to maintaining a studio space! after years and years of trying to create a fixed art spot, i finally gave up and acknowledged that i'm a more temporary studio kind of gal. i like beginnings and ends, start and finish times, the freshness that comes from doodling in different places. time restraints and changes of venue get my creative juices stirred up and the ideas flowing. so earlier this year i created a docking station for my art materials in a kitchen cabinet. now i can take my things anywhere i want and not feel guilty about it - the kitchen, the attic, a coffee shop, the park, another city, or just a few steps outside to our little side porch, which i finally cleaned up and declared my summertime studio. and from time to time, a few extra doodly hands show up and test out a few sharpies for themselves.

if you love peeping into other studios, check out nona's group real working studios. wonderful colorful messes and creativity in motion!

bubbles of your day

if you're up for a bit of navel gazing and reflection, name three things you've done so far today - they don't have to be monumental or sensational. just three ways you spent your bubbles of time before they disappeared. of course, if you did do something monumental or sensational, by all means please tell...

a doodleview with carmen

it's been a pen to paper frenzy here this week! just finished up a doodled interview for the fabulous carmen torbus - if you have a moment, please swing by and say hi! i love doing these doodleviews, and was especially excited to tackle this one for carmen because i get to meet her in person next week. now i'm giving the markers and the hand a rest for a few days (i swear i'm going arthritic), so we'll do another spillsville for the next post - thank you all for making that last one so entertaining... have a great day!

saturday spilling

good morning! (still working through the morning here.) how about a little spilling today, à la jane of spain daily? i love her kiss and tells! 1. where did you live three moves ago? 2. where do you grocery shop? (i love the names of regional grocery chains) and 3. what was the last thing you did that amazed yourself?

get moving now

will someone please tell me what this is? a bird? a turkey? a peacock? a rooster? a bir-key-cock-ster? whatever it is, it has managed to deliver the message "do it now" cheerfully and i guess that's all that matters! my major call to action this week is getting back to running every day, one sluggish mile at a time. so far i can manage two :)

hanna chose the terrific weekword NOW - there's still time to join and post your interpretation on friday. i posted mine a day early, for obvious reasons - it couldn't wait!

(p.s. NOW a print and a magnet in the shop.)