Kitty Genius

Coffee With A Touch Of Creepy

Relax 

10 x 10 x .75  acrylic and vintage book pages over canvas

A Moment To Myself

8 x 8 x .75

Both these new paintings are going here!

I just realized I have been sitting in the same spot at my coffee house for over two hours. Drew met me for lunch today but with all the driving time it was for 15 minutes. I think it's because it's empty here (very unusual) and I am sitting in the one long booth in a corner. No plug for the computer but a nice long working space. aaaaaahhh.

I also brought with me the magazines I mentioned yesterday. Some one asked what magazines they were and they are Juxtapoz, Giant Robot, Paper, Nylon, and British Vogue.

I usually buy every issue of all these. Sometimes I skip the british Vogue because it's sort pricey. I used to have a self imposed $5 limit per magazine. Then it went to $6, then $10 (which was painful at first) and now I am up to $30 but it must must must be amazing to me. And those are few and far between. But honestly, I look at them like super current design books. I do not throw them away (which is a problem) and I love rediscovering them. And there is always that one (or 15) illustration or story that you have to look up. I sit with my magazine and computer together so I can instantly look for people's websites or portfolios. It is one of my biggest joys. Magazines just make me so..happy. And magazines plus internet? Pure bliss.

I really need put more prints in the shop. With all the painting I haven't had as much time to draw as much as I normally like to. That's partially why I've been here so long today (in other news a creepy guy just came up to you know, say hello. He was and I quote "just gettin' some sugar and saw an attractive woman up here and wanted to say hi." I gave my customary confused followed by horrified look and now he's gone) Any who...prints. I was here drawing, but now I think it's ruined and I'm going home to my couch :)

Some Fun Stuff

I just got back from Borders once again. I can't stay away from those magazines. And I was actually quite flattered the girl there said "this is going to sound strange, but I really like your taste in magazines." Strange!?! That's about the best thing ever. I just feel sort of incongruent with the magazines I buy. Lots of art and fashion and international funness and then you see me...which a lot of times is well, sort of a wreck. Today puffy coat, dirt covered navy new balances (and not the cute new balances) that I say are my work out shoes, but I sure do wear them an awful lot. I go through phases. Sometimes I like shopping, I want  new things and other times I feel like fuck it. I have no desire to look in a mirror or new buy things. I think I am overindulging in the working at home thing. Sweat pants all around! But then I am like "oh yeah" when I see real people in real clothes..

If most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time right now I am at 5% about 95% of the time. I haven't even found anything at thrift stores and it is VERY rare for me not to want even household items. But like I said it's all phases. Come April I will be buying everything in site. And of course it's all directly related to how I feel about myself at any given time and right now..let's just leave it at ughh. perhaps even extra ughh.

In much more fun news looky looky! This collaboration was a long time in the making with Tinymeat and I'm not sure when the wallet will be available but I love what they do and am very excited to finally be working with them. And check out their etsy shop.

Another exciting thing is Think Space Gallery asked me to be part of a HUGE group show Picks Of The Harvest: Batch Four. There are over 100 artists and I feel in very very good company.

And tonight I bought this

I can't wait to slooowly pour over this with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Some Tinies

Not too much writey writey today but there is some new stuff in the good ole shop.
Despite the beautiful weather and tempting internet I am maintaining a good path. I LOVED knowing how many of you are aisle dodgers too :) Let's start a club...but I would never ever avoid you.

I Vow To Be Productive

Despite being at the post office on Saturday this was some (not all) of what I took to the P.O. to ship today. I LOVE staying up late, getting it done, and waking up to look at a nice neat almost finished pile.

After a looooong line at the P.O. I needed to go to Target and the grocery store. And I'll tell you what. If Target isn't the place to run into somebody you know everytime you're there. Well, then I don't know what is. I looked up for a second and saw a girl who looked like she had just whipped around in the other direction. And from behind I still recognized her as a person I used to work with. And I can only assume she saw me before I saw her and decided not to deal with the we're-not-really-friends-but-it-would-be-weird-if-I-didn't-say-hello hello. And thank goodness she opted for that route (I've been known to dodge a store aisle of two). And really I don't think I ever have not had a somewhat award speaking experience. So all is well that ends well. I silently appreciated her decision and then continued to browse through giant pajama pants (I like them loose!)

Also, I am not a list maker or alarm setter. But lately (because of drew's encouragement) I have been making more lists. I like to plan. But that just always stays in my head. And today on my list is work on tinies for Susan's shop and maybe some for my shop. It feels like spring today and everyone's abuzz even at stores. I'll open the windows and soak up some of that early (faux) spring.

Shop Update

A Little Bit Of Glamour

Talker 1

Are You Listening To Me

Talker 2

Mini Post

Hey all!! I just wanted to let you know there is going to be a mini shop update this evening. Around 8 p.m. central time. If you liked the painting in the last post (sorry that was for a friend) you may want to check it out...

Bunkered Down

8 x 8 x .75 acrylic, pencil, and vintage book pages on canvas

I'm bunkered down for a bit to paint, paint, paint. For really reals.

Coffee, movies, snow, and bathrobe (it's soooo cold I have where my fleece bathrobe over my clothes to paint)? Check.

Distractions? double check. Damn you distractions. There are so many of you. Each of you so tempting in your own way. I must resist...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Valentine's Day day so far. Frankly, right now I am just happy to have power. Monday night in the middle of a whole lot of busyness around here the power just went BLAM off. And our entire apartment is electric. No gas. So that meant no heat, no hot water. Suck.

There was supposed to be a giant snow storm which of course turned out not to be so giant but still COLD. The next morning the power had still not returned and I was freaking out a little because, well, I need my computer. And the UPS guy was coming and I had to print out some return labels from a wrong order I received. But, blah the power came back on late in the afternoon and I was happy happy happy. There was packaging until past midnight, but now I am back from the P.O. and all is well.

And today is Valentine's Day! I've mentioned it before but I love the day. I loved decorating shoeboxes for school and filling out valentines for friends. It has always been my mom's most favorite holiday so it really reminds me of her more than anything.

Drew and I exchanged our gifts a few days ago (I can't not give someone a present when I have one for them). It was not all that exciting. I actually got him vitamins. Yup, a really good food- based- man- multi-vitamin. I have never actually taken vitamins (I started taking the lady version of the ones he got) but neither of us are immune system superstars so I thought it was about time.

And drew got me this!!!

Images from this book have been a HUGE inspiration to me over the last few months and the book is now out of print. It's mind blowing to see pictures that we generally only see in sepia in vivid color. Prokudin-Gorskii was a chemist as well as a photographer and developed one of the earliest processes for taking color pictures.

aaahhh...I love it so much.

And tonight we're doing my favorite thing...staying in. I went to the "fancy" grocery store to get things to make dinner. Nothing says romantic like a fancy dinner with a movie all while wearing pajama pants :) Hot.

I Love The Pretty So Much

This weekend I worked on some tiny originals and am continuing that tonight.

Somewhere during the weekend I seemed to lose a little focus. So what's the best thing to do? That's right...shopping.

First stop thrift store. I went with Loren. Neither of us found too much. She found a little bird sculpture to paint and I found this

I have no business buying anymore bowls but the subtle design and color on these two threw me over the edge. And the bunny? Come on.

On Saturday I hit the craft store. I needed paints among other things and couldn't pass up pretty paper.

Saturday afternoon and evening was movies (at home), coffee, and then off to the bookstore where I bought more magazines than I should. That is definitely one area of my life I don't deny myself. I am loving amelia's magazine. This cover glows in the dark!

a peek inside

fashion, music, and a HEALTHY dose of illustration with lots of color, whimsy, and all things that were scribbled in the corners of your spiral notebooks with crappy pens. A thousand times yes.

And then there was this.

Do you see that? Diaries, notebooks, and sketchbooks!?! Have a look-see won't you.

and there are short little interviews with different artists. Just long enough for my sometimes short attention span for magazine articles...ok, ok for my short attention span for any magazine content that aren't pretty pictures. I just love the pretty so much :)

Interestingly enough, it's funny how consistent your own taste can be without you ever realizing it. Besides the covers I was initially drawn to both magazines because of a few illustrations that caught my eye while flipping through them. Only to find out when I got home that both illustrations in both magazines were done by the same person, Hannah Barton, a London based illustrator.

Must go read magazines now...

UPDATE: Lots of you are wondering where to find Graphic. I purchased mine at Borders. If you can't find it there and you are in the U.S. or Canada you can find the distributor here. or email at support@lordsnewsinternational.com For those of you in Australia email info@towerbooks.com.au or check here. United Kingdom (I don't think you will have a problem finding it) But email info@pguk.co.uk

And thanks for liking the bunny!! I love it too. I imagine it will just sit on a shelf somewhere. I have too larger white ones that are similar and they are all actually little cotton dispensers.

CHEAP Interesting Art...

...Is only an Ebay search away. In the last few months I have really enjoyed searching "vintage honeycomb" and "vintage valentine" which is where I found this.

and this

That bee might be my favorite thing I own right now. It's the height of these things right now. And it's easy to lose a few hours to it...you know just in case your Friday afternoon is dragging by a bit :)