Little House Lessons

One more day in the beach cottage...I'm going to enjoy every minute of our family having more space, but I'm still sad to leave a house with so many wonderful memories in it. And 900 square feet taught me so many lessons too! A couple I want to remember:

1) Dishwashers are optional. Serious bonding time happens over soapy water and a towel.

2) Having your own washer and dryer is optional as well. Clean clothes, however, are not.

3) Personal space is a myth. If you've seen the kitchen in this house you understand. There was just going to be a lot of contact if you had more than one person in there, and it resulted in hilarious memories (favorite: giving Rowan a sink bath at two months with me, Ro, his mom AND brother in there. It was like a group hug with a bath in the middle!)

4) All spaces can be multi-purpose: as in, master bedroom/office. Entry/living room/art area/play area. See #3.

5) Home is where there is love.

And guess who just turned 6 months old?:) 

Panda Stare Down

Rowan is loving the exersaucer... but especially the panadas. He hasn't quite figured out that these guys are going to win a staring contest every time!

Art Day

I really, really should have been organizing and sorting today, getting ready to move...but that is not what I did.

I woke up wanting to play more with collaging watercolor washes. Hoping this will be the first in a series of branches getting ready to have things to hang at Lillie's in October.

I had several sheets of watercolor paper that  I splashed paint on, let it dry and then sketched and cut the leaves out...attached them to the wood with glue dots to hold them steady while sketching in the branches...added background stain, and then sealed everything in with collage glue. Most of the paintings I've been doing are from pictures I've taken, but this image of ginko leaves was in my head today, for no reason I can think of. I looked it up, and apparently they are a sign of resilience, hope and peace. I'll take that as a sign as we're heading into this move!

Can You See My Tooth?

Okay, so maybe you can't see it, but trust me, it's there! Yesterday was a big day at our house; Rowan is no longer completely toothless. Real food, here he comes! Or maybe just rice cereal, but you know what I mean:)

I recently took several beach pics for my friend Cindy in Arkansas that wanted them blown up on canvases. Getting out there with my camera made me realize, again how GORGEOUS it is! I've been a total bum and have started taking it for granted. All you people that are thinking about visiting, get yourselves on down here! Did I mention that we're moving at the end of this month? And will have a legit guest room?:)

Oaxaca Landscape

Having almost no space to paint makes me GIDDY about moving. I'm literally having dreams about it. I loved working on this landscape, but it was challenging doing three panels on half a table. Two weeks and I have half a room instead of half a table! Also just got my first real easel, it might as well be a car as excited as I am about it. I need to name it. Any suggestions? :)

Oaxaca Landscape, commission, acrylic on canvas 

tastesorangey: Another water painting

I am totally in love with Clare's style. Her painting's are so lose and free, just gorgeous. Addicted to checking out her shop and blog.

tastesorangey: Another water painting: "Shallow water , 8 x 10 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper."

Making a Switch

Put simply, I am not a computer person. The internet is like magic to me, and I think, always will be. Last summer Ro encouraged me to start a blog, and I did on Tumblr, with his help. However, almost a year later, I'm still miffed at how to work it, and after hearing good things about blogger, here I am!

Sadly, I can't transfer over my old posts ( I may not understand how it works, but once I started posting I couldn't stop!:) so here is a link to my old blog. http://tumblr.landoflulu.com/

I'm going to miss that little blog; it captures the very beginning of me thinking...wait...what am I doing?!? I gotta paint!!! I so so so appreciate all the  encouragement from Ro, my family and friends to wholeheartedly purse this thing I LOVE. After having paintings up at a local coffee shop called Delicomb in January and having a great response, I am working towards another show at Lillie's coffee shop in October. Plan to chronicle all my brushstrokes (and anything else that happens along the way:) here!