painting of the day: Fry Stand by Shawn Huckins

180B - Fry Stand

2009

acrylic on canvas mounted on MDF

49 x 40 in (124 x 102 cm)

I was first introduced to Shawn Huckins after seeing the Paint Chip Series, featured on The Jealous Curator (great art blog). 

The Paint Chip Series features several large canvases painted to resemble various color swatches you'd pick up at Home Depot or Sherwin Williams before covering your living room in "Pacific Sea Teal." Each "chip" also incorporates some mundane image drawn from the everyday—a Walmart employee pushing shopping carts across a "Sweet Corn" landscape; cars sinking into a "Honey Beige" flood. 


More from the paint chip series....

380B - Brown Paper Bag,

Artists with Huge Egos

2009

acrylic + latex on canvas mounted on MDF

49 x 40 in (124 x 102 cm)

460F - Self Portrait I + II with Flannel Shirt

2009

acrylic on canvas mounted on MDF

49 x 40 in (124 x 102 cm)

New 4" x 4"s

I finished a series of small paintings last month for my open studio -- 4" x 4" mini canvas paintings. Super cute! Here are the girls.....

 Party Dresses

 Cocktails

Drama Queen

 Beer Can Rollers

Sunday Afternoon

Saturday Afternoon

Which is your favorite?

locals welcome! art exhibit at Stifel and Capra

The city of Falls Church hosts a monthly FIRSTfriday event for participating shops and restaurants. I will be the featured artist at Stifel and Capra thru May. Opening reception is from 5-8 pm on Friday, May 3rd. I will be exhibiting new paintings, new littles and matted prints. Stop by and feel free to bring friends. 

you can find cool stuff anywhere!

I was in my husband's hometown, Altoona, Pa, over Easter weekend. I was driving through my in-law's neighborhood when I came upon what appeared to be a yard sale. I BRAKE FOR YARD SALES! should be a bumper sticker on my suv. It mortifies my kids but they should be used to it by now.  Anyway, I looked at the few items this man was selling against his chain-linked fence.  He had made these drum shaped coffee tables out of wood.  I asked how much and he said $25. I rarely have cash in my wallet and told him I would be back. A few hours later, I saw he was putting everything away and it looked like he hadn't sold a single table. He was so happy I had returned and liked his tables... he gave me two for one!

Very West Elm-like

The small one is 18" diameter and large one is 26" diameter. I think both made of hickory.

Elm Wood Coffee Table

 I love a good find!!!!!!!

eclectic style

Eclectic style is the great equalizer. It reshuffles the rule book, mixing and matching old and new, East and West, luxe and humble, showy and quiet. It invites you to fill a space  with objects you love and unique finds that strike your fancy. Simply put, it's you, curated. Try to redecorate a room using your favorite objects -- pillows, lamps, art, etc. Avoid symmetry.

I began this inspiration board with my painting "woodsy girl" and worked around her. The painting of the seated woman is mine too.

a special commission

A good friend's mother asked me a year ago to paint her 10 grandchildren. The commission was to be painted on three 24" x 24" size canvases, a triptych.  The idea was clever and creative. She sent me photos of the kids taken at a rodeo in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where they have a home. I liked it because they were posed looking at the rodeo (just the back views of the children.) 

Here are the paintings..... she loved them and I honestly think they turned out great.

The paintings were a surprise to the family and presented Christmas morning.......

My job can be so rewarding.

Best art walls

Kirra Jamison

Weisshouse

They speak for themselves.

excited to share portraits by ny artist, Hope Gangloff

Hope Gangloff is known for creating vibrant and truthful portraits of her friends as a way to share her view of modern American life. By capturing this generation of young adults in her illustrations and paintings, she documents this era's struggle during these tumultuous economic times. 

Don't you love it?

open studio - sunday, march 17th

Locals welcome! I'm hosting an open studio on St. Patty's Day! Come see new paintings, framed prints, flip through matted prints and cool jewelry pieces. I love the open studio concept. It gives me creative license to try out new ideas.

Stay for a pint of green beer, maybe some guitar playing and a fire in the pit! One lucky raffle winner will leave with a 11" x 14" print! 

Be sure to bring a friend!

*all set up for credit card purchases.

The Design Files Open House 2012

I recently saw this video and loved the concept. One day I'd like to put on an event like this. One day soon:)

The Design Files Open House 2012 from The Design Files on Vimeo.

THE DESIGN FILES OPEN HOUSE is back again in 2012 - with a new home, and lots of fabulous new design pieces to showcase! 

We’ll be transforming a beautiful home in Windsor, Melbourne, to create a pop-up retail event unlike any other. Once again we have carefully selected a group of our favourite designers, artist and makers whose beautiful wares will fill this space. 

A natural progression for Australia’s most popular design blog, THE DESIGN FILES OPEN HOUSE is the ultimate stylised Melbourne home, with an added bonus - everything is for sale! From bedlinen to books, artwork, furniture, kitchenware and lighting, each and every item can be purchased on the spot. 

painting of the day and DIY in one - "Untitled" by Keith Haring

Today's painting of the day is "untitled"(this title happens when artist is so prolific and couldn't possibly to come up with something clever and/or image speaks for itself) by Keith Haring. 

Here's the DIY: I cut up my Keith Haring calendar to make some fast art. I am so glad the cover was the same image as february. I had a small painting, I was bored with, in a frame with a mat. It is okay to recycle art. I took the frame apart and in this case I did have to cut the mat opening a little larger. Put it back together and I have instant Valentine art.

More about this artist below-

Keith Haring was born May 4, 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He moved to New York City in 1978, and began using the city as his canvas, making chalk drawings in subway stations. With its thriving underground art scene, New York seemed to be the perfect fit for the young artist. In 1982, he had his first New York one-man show at the Shafrazi Gallery. A critical success, he soon became one of most popular artists of the time. He died on February 16, 1990, of AIDS-related complications.

happy valentine's day!

This little heart welcomes me home when I pull in my driveway. Surely the stone builder guy had no idea it looked like a heart. I love that it's eternally there.

Wait! Does this mean I have a heart of stone? Nah..... it's all about love.

A Valentine's Day Lunch

Thought this was adorable. I would have loved to have planned a small Valentine's Day tea party with my girlfriends.......maybe next year. Found video at glamoursmash.com

Kristen from Just a Girl and Her Little Dog- made THE CUTEST video on how to put together the perfect Valentine's Day lunch for the girls! You MUST watch it below. 

Oh, and her adorable pink-haired rockstar puppy, Lola, makes an appearance about 20 seconds in! 

nice idea: I attended a baby shower many years ago where the hostess served coffee and tea in several mismatched tea cups. So pretty. So for several years following, this is what my friends and I came up with....amongst your closest girly friends, give a tea cup for a birthday gift or an annual event you all celebrate together. If a group of 3-4 friends do this for 2 or 3 years..... you end up with a fabulous collection. 

See some of my collection below

another footstool makeover

I bought this footstool for $11.50 a few days ago. Lovely isn't it? What you need is a great upholstery fabric ( I bought this remnant at the fabric store for a remarkable $10.00, normally $75 per yard). I have plenty left for another project. You will also need a good staple gun and plenty of staples.

I started by removing tassel fridge. Next, I cut fabric so there was 1 inch over hang. I put one staple on all sides and each corner. Continue all the way around and end with overlapping corners. This is a little tricky but evenly fold each corner side and staple 3 times to secure.

link to my first footstool diy