New things happening soon!

Well hello there! Long time no see... so to speak. I've been a bad bad blogger, not posting in over 6 months and all. I'm just gonna cut right to the chase and let y'all know that during my absence I've been maniacally planning and scheming all while producing a lot of art. What schemes could could I be scheming? What plans could I be planning? Well, I want to make art for a living. I know this is very difficult to do and some people think it's a dreamers dream, but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't at least try. I have to start somewhere and it seems that Etsy really is the best place to start. So, I will be opening my very own Prettiest Thistles Etsy shop in the near future! 

I've been carefully studying Kari Chapin's indispensable book The Handmade Marketplace and although the book has educated me imperatively about almost every issue dealing with selling my art, I must admit I've lost more that a few nights sleep worrying about every potential pitfall and mistake I could make. My excessive worrying really slowed down the whole process a bit and I've recently decided to just go for it anyway! It's now or never! Sure, I'm aware that I will most likely make some mistakes along the way and I'm positive that things won't come as easily as I wish. But that's the beauty of the whole situation. It's work. Art is honest and hard work from the deepest depths of who I am without having to compromise a bit of myself.

I'm already in the process of photographing my art and I promise the images will make their way here before anywhere else. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Wish me luck... I'll need it.

Strange Dream

This morning I awoke from the strangest dream. It's not often that I have (or remember) a dream of such deep meaning so I thought I'd share it before it becomes forgotten.

I was at a lake and the sun was rising. The sky was a swirl of radiant pinks and peaches. The air was warm and moist, but not uncomfortable. I saw a man swimming in the lake and for some reason I felt compelled to swim to him. He didn't speak to me or motion to me, he just looked at me. It was like I was being gravitationally pulled to him. I got in the water with my clothes on and started to swim after him and he started to swim away. As he was swimming away I reached out and grabbed his leg but it slipped right out of my hand. He was fully clothed but felt as slippery as a fish. He continued to swim away and I continued to swim after him. He was swimming in a circle. I finally caught up to him and when I swam next to him, he embraced me. Within his embrace was more love and warmth than I've ever felt in my life. Then I woke up.

I can't for the life of me remember what the man looked like and whenever I try to envision his face all I can see is a blur. The only detail of him I can remember is that he had brown hair. I'm still trying to figure out what it all means, though I'll probably never really know.

Right after I awoke, the Laura Veirs song, Lake Swimming swarmed through my mind. The song is an absolute perfect reflection of my dream and will forever be linked in my mind.   

Lake swimming 

Shucking free our deadened selves

Like snakes and corn do

Our bodies tore off swimming suits

And all the old notions

The cold ocean far away

Enter the sun 

Marching like a matador

Flashing her velvet yellow suit

Throwing a red cape on the sky

Old butterfly 

I’ll dance with you

Though our wings may crumble

We can float like ash

Broken but the edges still shine

Lake swimming 

Shucking free our deadened selves

Like snakes and corn do

Our bodies tore off swimming suits

And all the old notions

The cold ocean far away

Swoon!

To quote the King: "Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be. Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you."

*And yes, I'm talking about the dress!

MIA with Madame Antoinette

I've been MIA lately from all forms of social interaction. I've been completely absorbed in my latest art project about the ever endearing scandalous queen, Madame Marie Antoinette. Sleeping and eating is completely overrated. Hands down, the best interpretation to date of the young queen is the Sofia Coppola film and I have drawn endless inspiration from it. Music from the soundtrack fills the room as I draw and the film is always on the tube, soundless for some visual eye-candy. I can't complain.

Evan B. Harris, Whales, and All Things Nautical

As some of you know, I've recently become fascinated with whales and all things nautical. I'm currently working on a nautical illustration of a sperm whale and I promise to share that as soon as I'm done. Josh treated me to this beauty as a Valentines day gift and I must say it really is more lovely in person!

I discovered the works of Mr. Evan B. Harris a while ago and was instantly smitten. I quickly added his website to my favorites folder as not to forget about him but alas, forgotten he became. Until a few days ago that is. Evan's work is really beautiful and has a haunting old-timey folk appeal. The line work is exquisitely graceful and his color palette is so dreamy. A lot of his work depicts sea life in some form or another and that's exactly what's won my heart.

Star-Crossed Lover's Map

For the past few days I've been listening to Laura Viers' album July Flame non-stop. The imagery created by Laura's lush music and rich lyrics are lovely enough to make me swoon day and night. I'm all the more enamored with the album art which happens to be done by one of my favorite artists, Carson Ellis, who really does deserve a post all of her own. Hands down my favorite song on the album is "Wide-Eyed, Legless". Have a listen...

Down among the dead

The wide-eyed and the legless, only half a head

Half a mouth to laugh from the porthole

With the more than faded epitaphs

Will you ever more tie up my hair with velvet bows?

Will you ever more pull out the splinters from my toes?

I don't think so

Out in the hornet rain the swarming stingers

Pumping poison through my veins

Lacking on the star-crossed lover's map

Take the beating lash, lash for lash

Will we ever more kiss on the boardwalks fading red?

In the light of the waves and the comets waning tail

I don't think so

No more looking back, looking back, looking back

Faded epitaph

So in Love

Happy February! I love February mainly because spring is right around the corner and of course, because of Valentines Day! I just love love and I love that there's a day devoted to love. I seriously fall in love on a daily basis. I fall so easily. I fall in love with coy smiles and beautiful minds, flouncy dresses and delicate flavors, all shades of blue and green, gentlemanly acts and shiny winged insects, sunlight on pale skin and the perfume of fresh lavender, cold blood oranges, cat-eye glasses and many more lovely love-worthy things. What things make you fall in love? I'd love to hear about it!

Right now, I'm head over heels for these:

I'm dreaming of spring picnics with Sofia wearing this "Dreaming of Blue" dress.

Sweet and bubbly imported drinks from Belvoir Fruit Farms. I'm totally obsessed! The Elderflower drink is my favorite but the little British Import shop I get them from is out right now.

Color samples from my watercolor class this semester. 

These heavenly vegan friendly lemon cookies!

The sweet tiny blossoms on my African Violet make me swoon.

Winter Garden

Winter here has basically been like spring. Most days have been really warm and lovely. My pale legs have been quite pleased to peek out of dresses and bask in the heat. My plants are full of new life as fresh flowers and moist leaves unfold from dormancy. *Botanical names listed under each plant.

Pelargonium 'George Marston'

Fuchsia x hybrida 'Voodoo'

Mentha spicata (common spearmint)

Viola cornuta 'Johnny Jump Up'

Pelargonium x hortorum 'Vancouver Centennial'

Orpheus Melted the Heart of Persephone

I love this song and I adore this new She and Him video. The furniture. Zooey's dress. Zooey's hair... well, just Zooey in general I adore!

Rest in Peace Trish Keenan

Yesterday morning, the world lost a beautiful and amazing artist. Trish Keenan's poetic words were like incantations and I found solace in her music during some of the darkest times of my life. I was lucky enough to see Broadcast perform a few years ago here in San Diego and I still remember how magnetic Trish was in person. Though I did not know her personally, I feel a loss in my heart. Her sweet voice sounds like a ghost now.

*Last two videos are from the collaborative project of Broadcast and The Focus Group.

In This Belly of a Whale

I'm thinking of getting this dress, which makes me think of The Mariner's Revenge Song (which happens to be the inspiration for my next art project) by one of my all time favorite bands, The Decemberists, who I happen to be seeing live this February 13th, when I might be wearing this dress, possibly with linen and curls and lips parting like a flag all unfurled.

Resolutions and Such

I know making New Year's resolutions are considered trite to many people and I totally understand why. However, for the past few years I have made resolutions and I have been successful at following through with all of them. Needless to say, since resolutions are immensely beneficial to me, I've made a significant resolution for 2011.

My resolution for this year is to do something creative everyday of my life. While embracing art full force last year (after almost abandoning it entirely due to an emotional trauma in my late teens) I've learned that I absolutely need to be creative to be happy. Unfortunately, it's all too easy for me to slip out of a daily artistic routine without a deadline for a project. So by making this resolution, I've created a deadline for a completed project every day of my life. Now, I'm not completely insane. I've been liberal enough with my personal definition of a creative project so that it can mean anything from taking my camera on a walk and snapping some beautiful pictures, to writing a blog post, to completing a drawing. I hope to share more of these projects here and get over my fear that my artistic endeavors might not be good enough, whatever good enough even means.

Here's to a fabulous new year full of accomplishments! Wish me luck...

*photo of Caladium bicolor, by me

Hello Presents

I received some seriously amazing gifts this holiday. These two were my absolute favorites and literally brought tears to my eyes. In October, for our 4th anniversary, Josh and I went antiquing all over town and I fell in love with a set of four Portmeirion Botanic Garden Vintage canisters from the 70's. I mean the illustrations are simply stunning, how could I not. The whole set was over $100 and I just couldn't justify spending that much on something I didn't need. Well, I guess a few days after that Josh sneakily went back to the antique store and bought them for me for Christmas and hid them in his car the whole time. I was stunned and swept away. How sweet is that?!

The above two are my favorites. The colors are really lovely and I just adore the butterflies! Here's the whole set.

The other gift that meant the world to me was this set of Penguin clothbound books from my brother in-law. He picked these books out for me without even knowing that some are my favorite books of all time. The graphic covers are just stunning and the books look so pretty lined up together. 

So, did you have a favorite gift? Tell me about it...

Goodbye Christmas

This post is just a wee bit late, but with good excuse. I've been busy having too much fun over the holiday and doing a new blog post has been the last thing on my to do list. As I mentioned earlier this was the first year having our own real Christmas tree and I simply had a blast decorating it. Yeah, who knew this self proclaimed grinch could really get into the Christmas spirit this year. Like full on, I was even listening to and singing along to Christmas music while decorating and drinking hot cocoa with vegan marshmallows. Seriously, The Jackson 5 and The Beach Boys Christmas albums are the best Christmas music! I astounded myself. If past me came to the future this year and saw me, I think past me would have puked. Better late than never, I thought I would take some pictures this morning of my favorite ornaments on the tree before it all comes down. Can you tell I really like mushrooms?

* I made the butterfly terrarium ornaments using Amy Merrick's design*sponge tutorial from last year, found here. Aren't they super cute? I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!