Moving & Funny Pic

Big news: my husband & I will be moving from Columbus, OH to LA at the end of this month. This means that I will probably continue to be bad about posting new paintings until early next month. Sorry; please bear w/ me.

As an apology I offer this funny picture of my dog Marvin:

The Introverted Artist

Several new paintings are in the works right now. Will actually have the weekend in town for once (no travelling) so hopefully they can be finished and there will actually be more than a post once every several weeks.

In the mean time, I found something online that was a really enjoyable/personal read. Perhaps, since many artists are introverts, some of you will find it interesting too. Let me know what you think:

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

(original source)

LA for Work Art Show

This piece (subject: Chinatown, LA) is for an art show that we're having at work (benefit of working at a place with so many artists). Each piece submitted should used recycled materials in some way. I used some of the mountain of soliciting mail that is dropped on our front stoop constantly. And some aluminum foil. Just a bit.

12"x12" collage, acrylic & ink pen on wood panel

purchase here ($100)

I Had Triplets!

Well, not really (tee hee). These commissioned pieces are finally completed. (2 copy paintings of a painting I did last year -mentioned in this post.) Here they are:

I paint watercolors by taping them down to the table. Works well.

 copy 1

copy 2

Each piece is approx. 10"x14;" watercolor, colored pencil and black ink pen on coldpress watercolor paper. They are on the way (in the mail) to be gifted to the sisters of the woman who received the original painting. 

Vivian Maier, Street Photographer

My friend Stacey found a blog with some amazing/inspirational street photography by a woman named Vivian Maier. There are some insanely interesting photographs. Here are a few (all photos below taken from the blog linked above) but I encourage you to visit the blog itself & scroll through the many, many excellent images there.











I could spend hours and hours looking at this woman's photos.

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am in the middle of completing a unique painting assignment. Awhile back I completed this piece as a commission to be given as a gift to a young lady's grandmother:

The grandmother contacted me a short time after wanting to purchase two more paintings of the same imagery for her sisters. She said that she knew each painting would be unique/not necessarily look exactly like the one that she received but that she wanted her sisters to have original paintings as well. I think that's fantastic. It is going to be an interesting experiment, though -completing the same painting 3x...will need some kind of chocolatey fuel...

Here is the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe EVER! (simple, perfect, delicious):
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup Hershey's special dark chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes (or until very lightly golden brown on top)

Church Sketches

Drawing in church is excellent- people tend to sit still for you.

 Above, my nephew Elijah fell instantly asleep on his grandma's shoulder.

 Above, a lady in an awesome 80's cable knit sweater.

Above, my sister Mariah's itty-bitty feet rest on the bench in front of her.