Wexford Girl

Recent Paintings

Here are some pieces on paper that I worked on over the last few days. I love the first one.

And one piece on canvas:

Heima

I was reading a blog yesterday (I don't remember which one), and the writer was talking about Heima, the Sigur Ros documentary, or rockumentary I guess, and how wonderful it was. So last night, I spotted it on the Sundance channel and decided to watch.

I have heard of the band Sigur Ros, but I had never heard them, and as anyone who knows me can attest, watching a documentary about a band I don't know is very unlike me. For five minutes I wanted to switch to something else, because it didn't feel like me to watch it. Then it got under my skin - the gorgeous music, the blue and black and gray landscape of Iceland, the people in little towns trudging up hills to hear the free concerts that the band played all over the country. And the band, talking softly and humbly about their music and what Iceland means to them. Heima means home. Oh, I loved it!

Watch the trailer:

The Perfect Shoes

Sigh! I am in love with these shoes. I saw them here and Jen kindly told me what they were (Jeffrey Campbell Edson 2), but the Internet has let me down. They are no longer available. Sadness.

 

Onesies

I appliqued these onesies (Irish translation: babygros) for a friend with a new little boy (with the initials HH). It's wool felt in rich green and brown.

It took ages to hand stitch them. I learned how to sew using a machine in a class once. but then I forgot everything I learned, which makes the bathrobe I made in the class a very expensive bathrobe.

Eric and I are super busy and overwhelmed right now with something we will share very soon. Intrigued?

Bird by Bird

We went to the mall at Corte Madera yesterday and got some beautiful things. I could not resist this set of duck measuring cups in Anthropologie. So cute!

And then, the minute I walked into West Elm, I knew this bedding set was coming home with me. It's sililar to Dwellstudio's bird bedding, but half the price.

Birdies! I know it's a tired motif, but I still like them.

Duck?

Today at lunch I was in the hardware store getting a dowel and hooks to make a little curtain for a closet. I kind of love hardware stores so I was wandering around fondling the fixin's. I got to the tape section and I noticed that a roll was named "Duck Tape." I thought, oh that's funny; they're playing on the real name of the product, which is DUCT TAPE. But all the rolls of all the brands were called duck tape. Is that really what it's called?

Oh, I just looked it up. Apparently there is some debate on the issue. So I'm not mad. Or am I?

I just sent this to my brother Michael because it's right up his alley. Sky Maul is a parody of Sky Mall, that strangely compelling magazine that's free on planes, and it's so funny.

   

The Winner

It's after midnight and I'm excited to see who wins before I go to bed. Plus, there is a nice round number of 50 comments. So I'm picking the winner now.

And it is...

Number 10

Rachel Crisman, send me your mailing address and you will receive one ORIGINAL framed piece of art for your son's room. I hope he enjoys his bear!

This was a lot of fun, and I never got 50 comments before. I was kind of obsessively checking them and you all said such nice things!

Tonight I have been working on some new bears at home. They will be in the shop soon. Here's a peek:

The Giveaway

Oops! I was so excited about BlogHer that I forgot that was the 500th post, so this will be the giveaway for post NUMBER FIVE HUNDRED AND ONE!

Leave a comment below, and on the morning of Wednesday, July 23rd, I will randomly pick a number to choose the winning commenter.

The giveaway is this original collage/painting. It's about 9" X 7" and I will ship it nicely framed in black, so say something nice in the comments!

BlogHer

What an awesome day. I met Evany at breakfast for a tasty ginger muffin and strong coffee, and we went through our BlogHer swag bag, discarding items like we were in a plummeting hot air balloon. Then, after some dawdling, it was time for Evany, Maggie, Melissa, and Sarah's panel about how to keep passion alive if you've been a blogger since before the term existed. It was engaging and funny. I met Sarah for the first time last night and she's awesome. I also met Monique at this panel. Love her too. One thing was very evident at BlogHer; there is a never-ending river of smart and funny women out there and I wish I could know them all. (Shout out to Suzanne, one of my favorite friend/bloggers - floggers? - I wish you were here today!)

After the panel, I sold paintings and prints at the BlogHer swap meet. I was next to Andrea, but we didn't get to chat too much because we were so busy selling stuff, which is always good, but I hope we have a chance to hang soon.

Then I joined a casual discussion with Monique and Evany and my favorite sentence of the entire conference was uttered by Evany, "I think this mimosa has your name on it." Aw yeah, alcohol for the Irish girl!

Chewed on a weird dry sandwich for lunch and then we went to the naked blogging panel with Mena Trott (founder of TypePad, victim of a painting falling and bonking her on the head at the capsule fair.), Tracey Gaughran-Perez, and Koan, all articulate, engaging speakers. It was a great discussion.

Then the closing keynote with Heather Armstrong and Stephanie Klein. They were both terrific. Heather has reached a level of blog fame that seems uncomfortable. She's the Britney of blogging (although she remains unrecognized by the blogless, anyone with a Bloglines account knows who she is and will invariably request a photo with her). She seems nice, prettier than she is in photos. I saw her at Maggie's Mighty Haus launch party last night. I saw her husband Jon - who seems taller in person - first. I was looking at him going, "Is he on Saturday Night Live? Where have I seen him?"

Party time - over to Macy's for four floors of cocktails and nibbles. Fun and strangely retail-ish! I took a cab home. I LOVED BLOGHER, and I am so happy I went.

Another wonderful connection this weekend was the beautiful and funny Kelly of Mocha Momma. I thought she was the bee's knees.

Here is a drawing that will only make sense if you were at the closing keynote:

Blogs and Zines

Friday again, yippee! This evening (4:30 - 6:00) I'll be at the Typepad suite at BlogHer in the Westin St. Francis. Eric and I gave some artwork which will be auctioned off. And after that I'm going to a Web launch party at Adaptive Path.

Then, all day tonmorow, at BlogHer, I will be attending various panels and talks, plus setting up at lunchtime as part of the BlogHer swap meet selling paintings and prints.

3 Fish Studios has to split up tomorrow for separate events; Eric will be at the SF Zine Fest selling prints, including his famous Prez. That's going to be a fun event. I'll be there on Sunday I hope.

Here is a painting using some lovely lines from the poem, "There comes the strangest moment", by Kate Light: