Wicked Awesome Kitty Softies!

I love it when an idea forms and takes shape easily and without effort! Among other projects I have been busy working with here in The Art Nest are these wickedly awesome kitties I made last week. I wanted saucy little kitties with giant ears and the Halloween colors just seemed perfect for them. I began by making a quick little sketch and then created an original pattern based upon the drawing. I'm thinking this pattern would make cute little Siamese kitties too with a little tweaking.

This is Mischief. He enjoys mad loud piano music (preferably in the middle of the night) and loves to eat Skittles except the purple ones. He claims the purple ones are a sedative.

This is Mayhem. Mayhem loves to skateboard (especially in crowded shopping centers) and detests vegetables of all kinds. The produce department of many a grocery store has felt his stinging wrath for the wretched vegetable.

The two brothers out and about spreading Mischief and Mayhem!
They are both currently for sale in my Etsy Shop, www.theartnest.etsy.com.

Life's Weird Sociological Experiments

Sometimes I really do wonder if I'm just in some weird sociological experiment. Oh, don't raise your eyebrows! I know you all have felt that way too (at least I chose to think you do).

You see, I went to a fab orchestra performance to see my son perform today. Having arrived early, I settled in to one of the best viewing seats to be had. All was going well, I was patiently awaiting the performance while mentally designing kitty softies in my head and chatting with the family. THEN IT HAPPENED! This older lady seated next to me gets up and requests that I make sure to save the SIX seats next to me for her and her family and she would return in a bit. Of course I started to politely object, but she said "Thank you" (as if I had agreed) and left.

OMG the discomfort began instantly, slowly growing into nervousness and culminating in absolute anxiety as I promptly turned away the next five groups of people who thought they had gotten lucky enough to find primo seats for the event. Now tell me, WHY would you task someone who obviously has difficulty telling you No, to proceed with telling dozens of other strangers "No"? Its almost as if it was her job to torture the living daylights out of me! And what would have happened if I had neglected my duties? More anxiety creeping in at the thought of the outcome of that scenario....

So she finally returned. The concert started and it was wonderful. I fully lost myself in the music and allowed the notes to coax out various emotions. Once the concert ended, I got up to leave and happened to glance over at the older lady who had danced upon my last nerve. Now I can't be sure but I am fairly certain that she was smiling an evil smile....

Really do wonder who is the designer of these weird sociological experiments...

I didn't want to post her face on the "Inter-Webs" but I totally photographed her evil feet. Note the empty seats..... Shudder.....

April 15th ended the 2010 tax season which means that I finally have a little more time on my hands again. As many of you know this was my first foray out of the family business in about 17 years. I learned a lot. I loved the clients who came to H&R Block and mini tax geek that I am, I loved the actual job. The inter-office dynamics, now that was another thing entirely! I generally try to keep my blog positive in nature so I've decided not to dwell to much on the subject of my co-workers but I will caution those of you who were negative, life-sucking, energy draining, leeches (you know who you are) - Clean up your act or you are certain to be sucked into the Vortex of Hell! Whew! Feels good to get that out of my system....


Now on to more positive things. The Art Nest is busy learning and creating again. I am currently taking a small course in drawing to increase my illustration skills. This is somewhat of a leap for me since I have to conquer that internal voice that tries to convince me that I can't illustrate. So far I am doing well and I hope to post some of my illustrations soon. In the meantime I have taken out my machine and created a new dish/tea towel from the retro Japanese series I have for sale in my Etsy shop.

Isn't she just delightful! I found her happy little expression so uplifting...

Check out all the designs in this series at www.theartnest.etsy.com.

What If......

During tax season I enjoy working at H&R Block as a tax preparer. It's seasonal work and I love the challenge of keeping current with all the new tax laws and changes. But my tax geekiness aside its interesting to get a peek into human nature. For instance, during a slow day with few clients I found myself involved in an in-depth conversation with a fellow tax preparer regarding God, death, reincarnation, and our purpose in life. Darlene at one point in the conversation revealed that she just didn't know what her purpose in life was and that she felt she should by now. Her words spun around in my head for several days afterward.... I mean, is anyone absolutely sure what their purpose in life is? What if we don't have just one big purpose? What if we have several small purposes? Or even one small purpose?

I pondered those questions while stuck in traffic on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon when I happened to look over at an older lady who was seated directly opposite of me and our eyes met. She seemed very concerned about something. I smiled broadly and nodded in her direction. To my absolute delight that cute, but ever so concerned, little lady smiled back with emotion that seemed to light up her face, nodded back, and then mouthed the words "Thank-you". The traffic began to move and we both drove forward with a shift in our attitudes. It happened so quickly. It happened so thoroughly. So what if that was my purpose? What if that one small moment in time was my entire reason for being on this earth? What if everything else in my life had conspired to bring me to that one spot, at that particular time, to provide that particular interaction?

In the end, after all my pondering was put aside I decided that perhaps its not as important to identify what ones "purpose" in life might be as it is to live our lives with great purpose.

The bitter cold of winter is winding down and warmer (almost) spring days are upon us. Many of the trees are beginning to bloom which has prompted me to interpret trees in softie form.

Sweet soft green trees with multi-color spring flowers.

My version of Gumball Trees...

More Spring Flower Trees, but this time in soft natural off-white.

Check out these and others listed in my Etsy store at www.theartnest.etsy.com.

I'm Going Rogue...

I've written my blog for about a year now, and for the most part it's been nice. Nice, but not great. Let me explain... before beginning most endeavors I do my homework. I like to see what has been done, what are the rules, what do I like, what do I dislike. My blog was no different. I guess I had a preconceived idea of what an artistically written blog should be. My blog has fit that criteria well enough but it's just not truly authentically all me. So here it is, I've decided that I am going rogue!

I will no longer stop writing a blog because it's not just about art - art comes in so many varied forms. Maybe what I write will be solely about the art of living.

I will no longer stop writing a blog because I have no digital pics to demonstrate my art - some forms of art cannot truly be captured in digital medium.

I will give myself permission to blog from my heart and my life - after all I am unique and there is no one who can represent me better and more accurately than I can.

I thank all of you who have read my blog and I hope you will continue. I appreciate the emails and interest in my online shop, www.theartnest.etsy.com. Most of all I am grateful for the kind words and encouragement I've received in the last year.

So with a wink of the eye and a mischievous grin, I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Check out all the snow here in Virginia Beach! Now, I know all of you who live where snow is common-place really can't understand why I am so in awe of the white fluff, but we just never get snow like this. So here at the beach, a bunch white, powdery, cold stuff that falls from the sky in immense (to us) quantities is big news! We got nine inches of snow and the kids and I have enjoyed it immensely. There have been snowball fights, ice slides, and snow ice-cream to celebrate. Did I mention this stuff is really COLD?? OK, time to move my southern sensibilities back inside to enjoy some hot cocoa and turn up the heater....

Little frozen moments caught in time....

The fairy that sits in the Lily garden.

The Koi Pond blanketed with snow.

A frozen and chilly wizard!




I love how this vignette played out with the snow.



My son Chris, undoubtedly planning a snowball frenzy!