my soul feels better...

i took better pictures of 'stairwell' this morning, much better. from an actual camera and not a cell phone.

stairwell

oil on canvas

18x36

this painting was extremely fun. i needed to create. i am noticing so much more a difference in myself when i am creating and when i am not. much more sane when i have time to actually do art.

click on the pictures for enlargements

thanks to 'mal' for the photo

happy scott rushton day.

i saw this on postsecret this morning and just had to share.

it's official

i'm applying to grad school.

summer

is warm.

the only update i really have is about daddy and i working on the motorcycle. got so much done in the 9 hours we were down there working today. we're getting down to little things like the battery, oil filter, gas tank, seat... "quick" stuff.

went to plaza with mom the other day- needed some paint. needed to paint. i hadn't been able to paint at all this past semester, it was awful. the most art i did was with the kids- and i needed another outlet. i was going insane, as irving stone wrote that i would. (see artist statement below)  so, i scrounged up some supplies, a canvas that had been taunting me since december, and a photo. i worked on it for about an hour last night and was in such a euphoric state that i did about half the painting. so far, i like it. i'm excited to see the completion.

also staring at a pile of other blank canvases, scenes of italy dance around my head... possibly france... germany... czech... switzerland... uk... ugh... i want to go back.

pictures of motorcycles and paintings to follow.

here's to you, matt walters.

don't know that this is the best way to spread the news, but matt walters died after a head on collision with an 18 wheeler.  

matt was a great friend, a hilarious and witty guy. 

probably would not have made it through my freshman year at HU without him. 

prayers and much love to the walters family. 

one of the coolest things in my life...

i got to hear president george w bush speak tonight. it was beyond amazing. he was warm, charming, witty and poignant. appropriately self-depricating, insightful and a joy to listen to. he was thoughtful, humorous, and graciously did not say any unkind things about current and past presidents who have said unkind things about him. 


a couple quotes from the night:
"If you can make $.50 an hour in Mexico and $5 an hour here, if you're any kind of parent, you're over the border."  on immigration


"Above the fireplace is a painting of George Washington. Who'd you expect... Rutherford B. Hayes?"  on the oval office




"The first plane was an accident, the second plane was an attack, the third plane was a declaration of war."  on 9/11


i am still in awe that i got to experience that man speak. it was such an amazing time. at the end we (the PACKED) benson sang the lord bless you, he cried. so did i. 

this was just too cute to not post.

freshly hand painted toms

should have included a view from the back. kind of was inspired by the mendhi designs from india and thereabouts. the right shoe took me 3 hours, the left only 2. one of my friends just thought they were a new pattern. he was impressed.

i've decided i'm kind of over school. i know the last 3 weeks will fly by, but i'm ready for tomorrow to be may 9th.

slow down... please.

hard to believe i'm less than a month away from my college graduation. really hard to believe. it's funny to think back to my freshman year when i couldn't wait for this part to be over, now i don't want it to end.