Yummy Summer

I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Sour Skittles and Gobstoppers are my go-to candies. On beach trips, however, it's all about the salt water taffy! Here's a sketch that I made on a recent family beach vacation to Topsail Island. I enjoyed sunbathing, reading, jogging on the beach, watching the waves, chocolate milkshakes, my sister's cooking, playing Apples to Apples with the family, and doing jig-saw puzzles during thunderstorms. My mom showed us a hidden talent when she curled our hair by tying it up with a bunch of paper towels. I will save these memories for frigid winter days.

Giving Art Away

When I went to apply for a solo show of my acrylic paintings, I realized that for all the painting that I do, I don't actually own a lot of my canvases. I definitely don't have enough paintings for a show! I tend to give them away as gifts to friends. For example, I recently made these little paintings of a cardinal and dogwood flowers (the Virginia state bird and flower), for a friend who moved away. I gave them to her so that she can remember that someone in Virginia cares about her. I think this is also why I enjoy making postcards and greeting cards- works of art that were meant to be given away. I'm reminded of a song, "The Magic Penny," that I used to sing as a kid: "Love is something if you give it away. You end up having more."

Art meets Soccer

Wow! My soccer team printed the honey badger logo that I drew on our new jerseys! The black areas became white during the printing process, but I'm still proud as punch. Here's a couple photos of me and my friend Veronica modeling the new jerseys after a sweaty first half and a picture of the original drawing. It's so cool to me that two very different parts of my life (art and soccer) came together this way.

Violets and Stars

I've been making thank you postcards and sending them to friends who have come to visit me and my mother this summer. I'm especially proud of this one pictured here, so I thought I'd post it on my blog. On it, I drew some of the black violets that are growing under my mom's porch. I also included a little insert of a night-scape, because my mother and I woke up at an insanely early hour this morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower. This summer has been beautiful during both the days and the nights. And it ain't over yet!

Summer Duckie

My friends had a baby girl last month on my mother's birthday! I put this drawing of a little "summer love duckling" on a card and sent it to the new baby's parents. The top left corner is empty because that's where I put the baby's name and birthday. Like the duckie in the picture, my mom and I have been watching a lot of lightning bugs this summer. She's been pretty sick and I've been staying with her for the last few weeks. She lives in the country and is surrounded every night by hundreds of these twinkling insects. It's a lovely, magical way to pass the time. Anyway, I hope my friends spend lots of fun summers enjoying fireflies with their daughter.

Baby Blue Whale

My friend Sabrina moved to a different state this week. She took her hilarious husband and darling baby boy with her. Before they left, I gave them this little painting of a blue whale. There were whales on the baby shower invitations, so I kept with the theme. I'm going to miss this little family of friends. Part of me wishes that all of my loved ones lived with me on one big commune, so that I could see them all the time. Another part of me likes having friends in different part of the country, since I love to travel and explore different cities. Sabrina can expect a visit once she's settled into her new home!

A Springtime Memory

Spring is finally waking up in Northern Virginia, which made me remember a glorious spring that I experienced nine years ago while studying abroad in France as part of my MFA program. I kept a sketchbook for my Travel Portfolio class. This week, I added a bunch of photos and postcards from my trip to any of the blank pages left in the book. This is one of the spreads about the day I spent in Giverny. Spring was in full swing in Monet's gardens in April 2006. Tulips upon tulips, like little blobs of paint in the yard behind his pale pink house with the bright green steps. I sketched the rowboats in his Japanese garden that day, because sketching the water lilies under the bridge felt too cliche.