Leaf by Elizabeth

For awhile now I've been wanting a bigger space to work on art projects. Matt suggested making an art studio in the basement, which for awhile seemed impossible, mostly because our basement was such a disaster! But I finally gathered the strength (and motivation) to work on it, and am so excited about how it's shaping up. Here are some before and progress pictures- I've carved out a 12x12 area at the back left of the basement, next to a window. Hopefully after I hang curtains all around and set up the 2 small space heaters, it will be warm enough to use in the winter. Can't wait until it's all finished! Before Before Progress: with Clara modelling- floor lamp, chair and footstool all courtesy of Craigslist. Progress Progress- I love the big window. And here it is with the new rug and wall covering! The red/orange pouf was a gift from my dad. I love how it pops against the navy rug. This shot shows what still needs to be do...

"If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting both for us and for her." -Reverend Beebe from Room With a View by E.M. Forester My recent art project- a fanciful mobile. "I didn't feel like a big fat idiot anymore. And I didn't feel like a hard-ass motherfucking Amazonian queen. I felt fierce and humble and gathered up inside, like I was safe in this world too." -Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail   Beautifying my least favorite place- the kitchen. "I am here alone for the first time in weeks, to take up my 'real' life again at last. That is what is strange-that friends, even passionate love, are not my real life unless there is time alone in which to explore and to discover what is happening or what has happened. Without the interruptions, nourishing and maddening, this life would become arid. Yet I taste it fully only when I am alone here and 'the hous...

I had a blast this year, making homemade Christmas presents for the girls. Seeing them have fun with the presents I made has brought me such deep joy. The first present: transforming the end of our 2nd floor hallway into a special nook for the girls. I made window and outer curtains, sewed pillow covers and a blanket (with my Grandma' indispensable help!), and then hung a small shelf and a light. The before shot And afters! And the second present: a balance beam (pictured further below). It was actually very easy to make- just a 2x4 cut into a 5 foot section and 2 9-inch sections, which I then sanded, stained and sealed, before screwing them together with 4 metal brackets. A wonderful surprise for me was that as I worked on the presents, I realized they both have symbolic value, as they each represent a less tangible gift I hope we can give to the girls in these coming years. L, we give you the gift of space. May you always have a peaceful, sa...

I'm still loving my foray into drawing. The women from my spring drawing class and I have kept meeting over the summer. We've met twice so far, and our teacher has come as well. It's great to have companions on this learning journey. My focus recently has been on light and shadows, which I find much more challenging than contour drawing (edges). Our teacher is fabulous, though, and is pushing me to draw faster and looser, getting the general shapes on the page and then honing the drawing, as opposed to working very slowly on each part from the beginning. It's fun to try this out on the page (who knows, maybe it will run over into my lifestyle too). :) An onion, with an "on-the-go" sort of feel. My hand (the background is sort of unfinished). My foot (another convenient and ever-present model).  I thought it would be fun to show the stages of a drawing, so for this next one, I took 3 different pictures. The white balance on these is strang...

I've just finished a 6-week drawing class, and am so enjoying this new adventure. The class was based on the book, "Drawing on the right side of the brain", which is brilliant. One of the things she says is that learning to draw is not so much about getting more adept with your hands, but about learning to see differently. That was fascinating, and quite encouraging too. She says that we all have ideas about what a tree or hand or eye should look like; instead, you need to draw what you actually see- the curves, angles, and spaces. There's something spiritual about drawing, I think, how it requires you to be present and to really pay attention to what you encounter. When I draw, I feel deep affection for what I'm drawing- it's a wonderful experience. And afterwards, I feel like I've really seen it, and know it so much better. Here are a few of my sketches. A pile of laundry. I thought it was quite ironic to be drawing the laundry, instead of fo...

For the past number of years, whenever possible I've taken off work on my birthday, so I can take a day to relax and have fun. I love celebrating with family and friends, but there's also something special about spending part of the day on my own. Since having kids, a whole "vacation day" hasn't worked out (yet), but even a few hours feels luxurious and rejuvenating.  This year we're visiting my parents overseas, so thanks to their generous offer to babysit, I got to enjoy a few hours of special birthday time in a favorite sunny, elegant cafe. Chocolate eclair and hot tea- a great combination. I love the architectural details, like the wrought iron fence and lantern.  . It's not often that I can wear sandals outside in late February! Hooray for spring coming earlier here (it's been in the low to mid 60s) And to complete the lovely afternoon, a rainbow of chalk pastels for drawing.

My art table was put to use for some fun projects in December. I happily stumbled upon a library book about presents kids can make, and Lucy and I set to work making teddy bear button ornaments and butterfly coasters. We used my great-grandmother's buttons for the ornaments, painting some and matching others. Then Lucy and I glued the buttons onto felt and I sewed around the edges. Each teddy bear had its own personality, and we were sad to say goodbye to them!  For the coasters, I picked up some 4x4 tiles that a local tile shop was going to throw out. Lucy and I traced butterfly patterns onto contact paper, which we stuck onto the tiles. Then we sponge painted around them, and lifted off the contact paper once the paint was dry.