Kim Edge

Narragansett Beach, Rhode Island, North Pavilion, no. 2

2011-06-28T19:13:00.002-06:00

A few folks have requested more Narragansett Beach paintings. And since I dream of living there again, it was an easy assignment. This is second in the North Pavilion Series.

a rainbow, a unicorn, heart flowers, clouds, and rain drops

2011-06-25T17:34:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone, I had my second daughter, Rell, in late January. I now fit in my clothes again, so I figured that meant it was time to get the paints out. My daughter Annalee, was my first client. She commissioned a big painting which needed to include: a rainbow, a unicorn, heart flowers, clouds, and rain drops. We worked on this together. It was her genius idea to ad buttons to the unicorn.

41

2011-01-14T09:51:00.002-06:00

My belly now measures 41" around at its widest point and as of tomorrow I will be 41 weeks pregnant.
Can't be long now.

Living Far From "Home"

2010-10-14T14:30:00.002-06:00

I'm just back from a short trip to Rhode Island for my mom's 60th birthday. My mom really enjoyed her birthday and it was such a gift to be there in person for the event.

My little family and I have been in Austin, Texas for 4 years now, and whenever we return from one of our many Rhode Island trips I ask my daughter if she's glad to be back in Texas, I never ask if she's glad to be home. This was the first trip where she answered in the affirmative.

My spirit often feels divided in two living far from my east coast family and friends, but it's most difficult before and after a trip there. Here is that feeling in abstract form.I wonder if giving birth in Texas will change any of that?

34" of Belly

2010-10-13T14:24:00.002-06:00

My friend who gave birth to twins noticed that at some point in her pregnancy the circumference of her belly was equal to her height. I have about 2.5 months left before my due date and my belly is now 34" around. Here it is in the abstract.

Weighed Down

2010-10-07T22:38:00.003-06:00

After a night without much sleep and a morning with many to dos in front of me, I often spend some portion of the day feeling like I don't measure up. In this illustration I tried to illustrate the feeling. I'm the black bar on the bottom, with loved ones that I feel some responsibility for above me. What a blessing it is to have done this illustration and see that later that same day, I'm just fine, and everything that needed doing got done.

Scatter Brained

2010-10-06T22:27:00.004-06:00

When I was young I was often labeled a "day dreamer" and "scatter brained." Today I felt like my mind was wondering all over, and it was healing to illustrate the feeling, that so often brought me shame as a youngster.

This illustration is my fuzzy chow chow who's been under the weather in the middle, me and my pregnant belly on the outside, and dots for all friends and family that I think about most often.

Abstract Monday "Sunday Afternoon with Annalee"

2010-10-04T13:05:00.004-06:00

I was quite tired this weekend, and needed lots of rest. I have 3 months left till the end of the pregnancy and it seems that I can't get a night of uninterrupted sleep. I have trouble being kind to myself when I need rest. There was one moment on Sunday when I sat down and painted with my daughter. I felt great joy to be with her, painting with her. I felt calm and hopeful. I had some lingering sadness over my tired state, so I drew some of the rainbow above the smile and some below. I explained the painting to my daughter. Later that day she painted one more painting, of her smile and mine, with rainbows all around. It was awesome.

First Day of Kindergarten

2010-08-23T14:50:00.003-06:00

I dropped my daughter off for her first day of kindergarten this morning. Texas is full day kindergarten (7:45-2:45 my goodness). It has been an emotional day for me and many of my friends. There is a beautiful Dar Williams song called "End of Summer," one line that I keep thinking of today: "It's the end of summer, when you send your children to the moon..."

As I shopped for school clothes for my daughter that seemed unnecessary because in Texas it's still 100 degrees and summer clothes will do just fine, I thought of the many trips to the outlets with my mom, sister, best friend Stacy, and her mom, picking out every color Levi's cords they had and sweaters lots of sweaters, readying for the cold RI fall to come.

The older my daughter gets the more I appreciate and understand all that my parents did for me growing up. My mom could walk and drive then, I'm grateful for the memory of her as young and independent.

I had a lovely end of summer, one trip to the California mountains and one to Rhode Island, both with family. This is my "Abstract Monday" for this first day of kindergarten, the end of summer.

Tired as All Getout

2010-08-13T15:01:00.002-06:00

Sometimes, when I'm super tired and have things that need doing, it feels like my happy parts and doing parts are being held down by something heavy. A nap is usually the answer, even if for a mere 2 minutes, and occasionally some tea.

Girl or Boy

2010-08-13T14:59:00.002-06:00

We found out yesterday that we are having a girl. I had a little guessing contest on facebook for a free abstract to one right guesser. My friend Ly Ann won.

Sequoia Lake, Sequoia National Park, CA

2010-08-09T14:04:00.002-06:00

We are just back from a week at YMCA Family Camp Sequoia with my husband's side of the family. It was lovely and fun, and it's hard to be back in the Texas summer heat.

Late vs. Early

2010-07-28T16:10:00.001-06:00

Diamonds as Best Friends

2010-07-28T16:08:00.001-06:00

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend" wiki says, "The song was listed as the 12th most important movie song of all time by the American Film Institute."

Abstract Monday, Secret Abstract

2010-07-26T13:23:00.002-06:00

It's abstract Monday. Any idea what this one is about?

Austin Train Bridge, Big Texas, Little Painting

2010-07-23T16:03:00.004-06:00

I went to the little beach yesterday morning and painted two more tiny paintings. This one is 2" x 4." There were red ants all over one part of the beach, the part I sat on the first time, so I moved slightly to the right and just in front of the tree they were busy with. That seemed to do the trick. The tree I sat under weeps and drops acorns, the cicadas were making their electronic music, and it was hot, but a little cooler by the lake. My husband brought me some cold water.

The Monarch, Train Bridge, and Lady Bird Lake, Austin, Texas

2010-07-20T21:00:00.003-06:00

The train bridge in Austin, where it crosses the Lake is quite a site. I set out today hoping to get a good painting in from beneath the bridge, I aimed for my usual spot and found it completely filled in with all manner of vegetation. I searched around just a bit and found what felt like my own private one person beach, which I will call Kimma Beach. I sat down on my towel on the sand with lake waves lapping up next to me and painted this 20 x 20" painting for 2.5 hours. It was the first time in all these free days that I didn't feel rushed. The train came by twice, so I was able to place it in the painting. The Monarch Condo across the way is beautiful but a complete pain to paint.

The Secret to Happiness

2010-07-19T15:46:00.003-06:00

It's abstract Monday again, and here is my abstract piece of art for the day. It's called "The Secret to Happiness." I'm personally happiest when I live in the now. What you are seeing: one line of music, the infinity sign, the "you are here" dot from maps, and the repeat sign. Happiness, done.

360 Condo, Seaholm, Frost, Austin, Texas

2010-07-15T21:22:00.002-06:00

I made some time to paint today. I sat by the Lamar bridge in the Austin summer sun, heat index 105, for one hour, and managed one larger painting 20 x 20 of the scene I've been studying in the smaller paintings.

Sun Rainbow Repeat

2010-07-09T14:32:00.002-06:00

My daughter includes a rainbow in all her art and they always look great. So I'm following her lead.

Austin, Texas, Skyline from Lamar Bridge

2010-07-03T22:57:00.001-06:00

This is a watercolor of the Austin skyline. Watercolors ad their own atmosphere to a painting, but when you mess up there is little you can do to fix it.

Pregnant Lady Good Day

2010-06-30T15:39:00.004-06:00

Here's a bit of news, I'm 11 weeks pregnant and due on 1/1/11. Here is a little abstract painting based on that. The baby is 5.4cm and already has arms, legs, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Most importantly the doctor said, "A little butt and big head. " Funny.

Abstract Monday, Calm Confrontation

2010-06-28T21:10:00.004-06:00

Monday is such a strange day, that I will post my abstracts on Monday. This one is called calm confrontation. It's the visual for how one might feel when trying stay calm during a disagreement.

Austin, Texas 360 Condo from Auditorium Shores, Mini Painting

2010-06-27T06:58:00.003-06:00

Here is the other mini painting I worked on from Thursday's outing at Auditorium shores. These mini paintings are so small that they are more fun in person.

Austin, Texas from Auditorium Shores, Mini Painting

2010-06-25T11:34:00.009-06:00

I found the cutest tiny canvases on Wednesday and painted two of them with my tiniest brush yesterday morning. I found a new spot, under the blue gazebo at Auditorium Shores. Nice and shady, with a great view of the condos and the water. One squirrel was a bit friendlier than expected, but I survived. This canvas is 2" x 3". My husband says I should market these tiny paintings as cubicle desk paintings. He may be right, because I like seeing them on my desk.

360 Condo, Austin, Texas, Close Up

2010-06-24T04:56:00.004-06:00

Here is another painting from yesterday's outing. I will head out later this morning to work on some others. I bought these tiny little 1" canvases, I'm dying to see if I can actually get a painting on them.
I'm also working on my Etsy store, so it should be simpler soon to buy any paintings you may fancy.

360 Condo Austin Texas Stage Left

2010-06-23T12:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my second day with a chunk of free time in the morning. I grabbed my paints and set a goal: 3 paintings. I started at 9am. It was already so hot at 9 and by 11 when I finished I was ready for cold water and AC. This is the first of my paintings. I sat on the stone steps off the Lamar Bridge.

View from Lamar Foot Bridge, Lady Bird Lake, Train Bridge, Austin, Texas

2010-06-16T09:06:00.003-06:00

My daughter has summer camp mornings 5 days a week. I work 3 days a week. Yesterday, I had my first morning off from mommy work and work work, in 5 years. I grabbed my paints and sat on a bench on the Lamar Foot Bridge and did a little painting. I miss the ocean and RI more in the summer, so it was nice to spend some time staring at the lake.

Tired, Floaty, and Content

2010-06-11T16:34:00.002-06:00

Higher

2010-05-17T14:53:00.006-06:00

My husband's first love was the little girl he would meet for a swing after Captain Kangaroo. Here's to the happiness of swings, friends, summer, and free time.

1997 NYC Times Square Mother and Daughter Braving a Storm

2010-05-17T14:51:00.003-06:00

If only there were blogs in '97 when my husband and I painted and wrote about Times Square for a year. Although, it is fun to blog about it now.

1997 NYC Times Square 42nd Street Subway Entrance

2010-05-17T14:49:00.001-06:00

NYC is the place for such highlights and shadows.

1995 Me with my Head Shaved

2010-05-12T13:24:00.005-06:00

My senior year at Parsons I shaved my head in reaction to being dumped by someone who loved my long hair (curious behavior, I know). I didn't shave my head in NYC where I was living. I went "home" to RI and had my Dad's barber, Mario, do it.

It physically pained Mario to shave my head and he gave me every chance to change my mind. Slowly, he cut my long hair shorter and shorter, asking at every stage if "maybe this was enough." I finally insisted he get out the clippers and do the thing.

Much to my surprise my mom and nonnie liked me with a shaved head, they said it reminded them of when I was a baby. The lesson: when you do something in anger, you look like a baby. The most enjoyable thing about having no hair was looking the same when going to bed, waking up, and after showering.

1997 Times Square Man Before a Storm

2010-04-30T14:59:00.003-06:00

Here is another from my 1997 Times Square series. This was a stormy night, I had an old-fashioned camera with film and had terrible fear of people. I would quickly snap all these photos while trying to be invisible and later develop them to paint from.

1997 Times Square Man Resting in the Shade

2010-04-30T14:19:00.007-06:00

This is the second painting I ever sold, to my creative director at Travel and Leisure, who I loved working for.

I got news today, that literacyhead.com will use a piece that I painted with my daughter in an upcoming issue of their magazine to illustrate the term 'properly."

I think it's a little funny because in the painting we are playing some serious kick ball in the house, which is not quite proper.

1997 Me in Blue

2010-04-28T16:41:00.004-06:00

I painted this in 15 minutes while living in our apartment on Bergen Street in Brooklyn. As I dashed off to work I almost tore it to pieces because I was so frustrated by the end result. Luckily, I simply tossed it on the floor. When Harold got home he found it on the floor and called me at work to tell me it was my best work yet. Later a work colleague offered to buy it and it was my first sale. A note to artists, it's sometimes better to judge one's work after some time has passed. It's acrylic paint on blue paper.

1998 Harold in Quebec City

2010-04-28T16:33:00.003-06:00

I was able to rescue zip disks full of old paintings this week, thanks to a very organized and generous friend. I think I'll post some of them on the blog.

Sometimes I forget that my art career didn't start with this blog. But thanks to it, maybe someday it will be an accurate archive of all my work.

Driving with Daddy in His Red Truck by the Sea

2010-04-19T14:43:00.007-06:00

My goal this week: start sketching at least one spread based on the new Super Baby story board. I chose to start at the end of the book and with the big picture. As I went over the story board, I took notes on objects to research ie: old trucks, cool houses, basketball courts, the coast from above. For this sketch I mostly did old truck research. Luckily living in Austin I found examples everywhere. My daughter and I found an old blue Chevrolet and she was quite upset to see me color my truck red. The other elements are from my mind. The coast is a mix of Matunuck and and Narragansett Rhode Island. The hill is more from the west coast where my husband is from. Looks like the book will be set in the land of Texarhodefornia.

On a news note. The Bill Walsh book Hello Week that I illustrated and first published images of here in 2007, is going to become a children's book app. thanks to Touchoo Publishing. I designed it with tiny app size images years ago before apps. Psychic?

My Animal Kingdom

2010-04-14T17:09:00.003-06:00

I'm working on my Super Baby children's book. And I am in the process of developing the characters and the scenery. I feel a bit like a director. These are some of the characters in my life that I know best.

Reinventing the Wheel

2010-04-07T15:11:00.003-06:00

The Life of a Watermelon

2010-03-26T16:35:00.001-06:00

The only gardening experience I had growing up had to do with marigolds. It was sometimes my job to collect the dead flowers for the following years planting. My husband had more experience than that and thanks to him and my daughter we have a little garden going these past few years in Austin. My daughter's favorite food is watermelon, so we planted some seeds and have crossed our fingers. She saw this illustration and said, "Mama, I like your watermelon painting."

Rainbow Wish

2010-03-24T16:30:00.004-06:00

It has been said that your body actually gets sleepy when you say you are tired. That said, I'd like to take this opportunity tell you all how awake and youthful I feel.

Golfing with Friends

2010-03-17T14:31:00.004-06:00

My husband and I love to surf together. We even took our surf boards to Hawaii with us when we married in 2000. I think its one of the reasons he agreed to date me (long story), I told him I was going surfing and that I could teach him. Austin has us so far from the ocean that we needed to find another outlet for the competitive sports component of our relationship. Enter golf! We are both close to terrible, and more importantly pretty equal. My dad got me golf lessons when I was a kid, after I gave up my pipe dream of becoming an olympic gymnast (even longer story). I have a great swing when I manage to hit the ball. My husband beat me last time we golfed, he watched some movies on line and totally improved his swing. We are too poor and occupied with our daughter to golf often, but if we can ever get out their regular don't you know I'm buying some cool golf outfit.

Texas Oil Derrick

2010-02-19T17:10:00.006-06:00

This illustration just ran in Alcalde Magazine. I created it using illustrator and photoshop. My art director at UT Austin,Kevin Rathge, and I collaborated on the vision.

I had to work for many years as a lone designer, I don't recommend it. If you really want to grow as an artist it is best to have other artists by your side.

Chicago, LA, Scotland, South Africa, and Heaven

2010-02-08T14:58:00.007-06:00

Someone contacted me through Daily Painters Gallery and asked me to do a personal "Visiting family at Christmas Time" illustration. I posted the original illustration in December based loosely on me and my family. I really enjoyed the process of learning where she and her family reside. Any mini geography lesson gets me longing to travel.

At a Table with Friends

2010-02-08T14:56:00.001-06:00

I somehow landed at the head of a table and felt a little strange. This illustration is all of us as squares at our table, the colors are based loosely on our shirt colors.

Lucky 13

2010-01-13T17:39:00.003-06:00

Here is another of my silly abstract illustrations. I think they would make beautiful large scale paintings. This one was done on the 13th of this month. I was born on Friday the 13th, and married on the 13th. Let's just say I'm a fan of the number. I had to do some historical research recently for a logo design and learned that our country also has close ties with the number 13. The Great Seal of the United States depicts an eagle with a bundle of 13 arrows in its left talon, (referring to the 13 original states), and an olive branch in its right talon.

Snowman in the Moon—Illustration 3

2010-01-08T16:17:00.005-06:00

Snowman in the Moon—Illustration 2

2010-01-08T16:17:00.004-06:00

Snowman in the Moon—Illustration 1

2010-01-08T16:16:00.007-06:00

I had an idea about 10 years ago to write a book about a snowman in the moon. I teamed up with my husband and he wrote a great story. Starting today, I'll post some of the illustrations here.

UT Austin Holiday Card from the President

2010-01-08T16:08:00.002-06:00

This card was designed for the President to send out for the holidays. The little bird on the tower got a foil treatment, and the stars a metallic ink. The card was printed on a dark blue over white duplex paper and the tower color was achieved with opaque white ink. Holiday cards have become more and more complicated as you cannot focus on any one holiday. I did not illustrate the tower, but the rest is mine.

Grounded

2010-01-06T14:49:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine once recommended that, since I'm a visual artist, I describe my feelings in a visual way. That was wise advice, today it got me out of my funk and left me with a new illustration.

Combing Mommy's Hair and a Tea Party

2010-01-04T22:19:00.002-06:00

Here is another take on the favorite things painting. This time with brighter colors on a smaller canvas.

A Favorite Day: Tea Party, Combing Mommy's Hair, and Kick Ball

2010-01-03T19:45:00.005-06:00

Happy 2010, everyone.

My 4 year old daughter and I painted this. It's her combing my hair (we have very different hair), us having a tea party with my mom in RI (via the phone), and her playing kick ball with her dad. Life's too short to paint anything other than your favorite things.

Rain drops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens.....

Among other things, she made the tea in the cups green, genius.

Austin Skyline

2009-12-21T16:12:00.006-06:00

I was hired by the wonderful Austin based Phan Law Firm, P.C. to design a holiday wine label. I'm posting the illustrated silo of the Austin Skyline that was part of the design solution.

I've been in Austin just long enough to have a strong opinion about what to include and what to omit. I especially wanted to included the Ann Richards' Bridge and Lady Bird Lake, which I hadn't seen in many other silos.

"Visiting Everyone at Christmas Time"

2009-12-09T17:08:00.009-06:00

My mom was ready to go last night.

Me: "So you feel good, do you want to give me an idea for the blog?"

Mom: "That sounds good, the blog....'the blog,' is that how you say it 'the blog?'"

Me: "Yup, that's right, 'the blog' or 'a blog.'

Mom: "Well since we are getting ready for the holidays, how about trying to get to see everyone around the holidays? We just got a card from Ann and she said she'd like to get together, and we haven't really seen her since just after Al died, and my friend who has MS worse than me right now, her husband has cancer."

My mom is the big Christmas card sender of the family. She sits in her wheelchair at the head of the table and painstakingly fills them out and as Christmas draws closer you can see the double doorway behind her slowly fill with cards she has received in return. They seriously run out of room by the end of the season.

As she has lost her ability to write with her right hand, she has learned to write with her left and eat with her left, and she has also cut back to signing her and my dad's name on the card, instead of their names and a note.

I'm pretty good at forging my mom's signature, I remember practicing it. I would write it at her request on my late to school notes and when using her credit card while shopping for her if she wasn't feeling well. Signing her name felt like pretending I was her. While I got pretty good at it, it's never quite the same as when she signs it. I will miss her handwriting when she can no longer write.

I did a few variations of this illustrations idea. They almost look like snowflakes. I imagined the dot in the middle as the visitor, an aerial view, and dots going out to where her loved ones lived.

I did one for me, my dot is at the bottom of the page (Texas) and I thought there wasn't anyone below me that I knew and would want to see and then I remembered that my friend Andres is in Uruguay. So his line runs off the page.

The Telephone Game

2009-12-04T15:34:00.012-06:00

Sometimes when I call home my sister is there, visiting or watching my mom. I love talking to my parents but my sister's input from the background often ads a special zest to the conversation.

A few weeks ago, I called and my mom was telling me how much weight my dad had had lost on his post surgery diet.

Mom to me: "You should see your father, he's down to nothing, he's hardly eating."

My sister from the background: "He looks the same."

Mom: "What? he's lost like 20lbs."

Sister: "Maybe 5."

Art Personified

2009-12-04T13:06:00.008-06:00

Before my life as a university designer, I was an editorial designer in NYC. My favorite job was working at "Travel and Leisure Magazine" as an Associate Art Director. I worked for the brilliant creative director, Pamela Berry and with a group of young hip artists who were as fun and kind as they were talented. Editorial design remains my favorite to this day. I've been blessed because while working for The University of Texas at Austin a few magazine projects have fallen to me. I'm posting designs from one of my projects: "Philanthropy at Texas."

"Double or Nothing"

2009-12-02T15:50:00.008-06:00

Sometimes when I call my parents they are solving a disagreement with a bet. My dad will say, "Wanna bet?" He'll bet my mom $20 million over any seemingly insignificant fact, that neither of them will give an inch on. It could be the color of something or something someone said. Sometimes I'll call home and ask my mom how much she owes my dad, and he'll yell from the background "54 million!" He always lets her go double or nothing, that's how the numbers get so high, but every so often she's right and I'll call and she'll suddenly owe nothing! My mom says its good to be silly in a marriage.

It took me a while to come up with a visual for this, but here it is, "Double or Nothing."

Happy Birthday, Bear! Happy Holidays, BEVO!

2009-11-15T13:22:00.006-06:00

I started working as a university designer back in 2000, the first 6 years were spent at Brown and I'm now at UT. Every year there is either a birthday or holiday card design needed for the President. Here is this year's UT holiday party invitation shell and a few birthday cards from my my days at Brown.

BEVO Rock Star, University of Texas at Austin, Longhorn

2009-11-04T11:50:00.003-06:00

What else would the UT Austin BEVO be but a ROCK STAR! He is after all in the live music capital of the world.

BEVO Football Fan, University of Texas at Austin, Longhorn

2009-11-02T15:37:00.008-06:00

Every year I produce some holiday card illustrations for the President's office of UT. This one is from a few years back. Today, my boss gave me back the rights to the ones they never used. The University of Texas's mascot is the longhorn, in this illustration I've turned him into a football fan, probably at a homecoming game. He's drinking cocoa and wearing a scarf. You can tell I was still new to Texas and Texas weather, I dressed him for a homecoming game back east.

Austin's New Skyline, Frost Bank, 360 Condo, and Seaholm Power Plant II

2009-10-28T19:18:00.003-06:00

Here is the second of my paintings from my two hours of free time on Sunday. I noticed as I was leaving at 3:30 that the light was just getting dramatic enough to help me make heads and tales of the skyline.

My daughter has been sick on and off since October 7th and I've just gotten my fever and flu symptoms today. I can only pray this means we will have some sickness out the way this winter.

Austin's New Skyline, Frost Bank, 360 Condo, and Seaholm

2009-10-25T16:53:00.005-06:00

Painting makes my brain hurt.

I painted "en plein air" yesterday for the first time in a long time. It was like an out of shape person trying to jog and play chess at the same time.

Some folks I know focus a lot on the loss of old Austin, and while I am always a big fan of the classic, and will forever miss the original Las Manitas, I have a great respect for some of the new buildings that make up the new Austin sky line. They sometimes remind me of NYC. I mean this as a compliment.

In this painting I've got a piece of Frost Bank, the 360 condo (which reminds me of the Chrylser Building), and three stacks from the old Seaholm power plant (which is the bit of old Austin that reminds me most of Providence). Texas meets NYC meets RI...

I was sitting there on the side of the Lamar bridge painting, getting a sunburn in October, chasing away bees and red ants, using a brush that was just a little too big for my tiny canvas, wondering why I put myself through this suffering. There was no way anyone could pay me enough to make all this worth it.

Today, as I went back to my day job as a graphic designer, and completely romanticized my paint out, I hit me that I wasn't doing it for the money.

"4 Awful Awfuls"

2009-10-23T16:25:00.005-06:00

October 7, 2009

Mom: "We went to Newport Creamery and had "Awful Awfuls." Dad had two and Pam and I each has one. Dad had chocolate and Pam and I had coffee, no Dad had 2 coffee and I had coffee and Pam had chocolate."

Dad from background: "They were buy one get one free."

Rhode Island has seriously tastey ice cream. I know this because Austin's selection does not compare. The Newport Creamery in Rhode is a sort of diner/restaurant/ice cream shop chain, where you can get ice cream all year round. They serve a seriously good shake, called an "Awful Awful" (awful thick, awful good). Rhode Islanders love that kind of humor, as a kid I thought it was genius. We mostly frequented the Newport Creamery in the mall, and it was like Santa came early, as they always gave you any extra shake that wouldn't fit in your glass.

The illustration has all 4 of my favorite flavors, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. It sounds like they have expanded their selection. I object.

Happy Birthday Mom, Surf n Turf Style

2009-10-23T16:25:00.002-06:00

This post is from the night of my mom's birthday, she and my dad went out for a nice dinner at "Remington House" in Warwick, RI. It's totally cute, on the bay, in a historic inn.

There are very few restaurants they can go to alone, as many have separate bathrooms for men and women. I've thought that it would make sense for true handicapped accessibility that there be always be a bathroom option for folks with a handicap who require the assistance of their opposite sex partner.

Mom: "Tonight your father and I went out to dinner for my birthday, I didn't want to go, but then he talked me into it. We had a nice time. I got surf n turf and my steak was bigger than his! and he just got a steak."

Totally unrelated:

Mom: "I would put baby powder in my hair, after working till 7 o'clock Friday night at Aunt Lou's restaurant, to hide the smell of the restaurant, so I could get to the Hendricken mixers by 8."

Me: "Did someone teach you to do that?"

Mom: "No, I think I just made it up?"

Interesting, I remember trying this myself, as a kid for some reason.

Invite a Cat and Mouse to Tea

2009-10-14T12:10:00.002-06:00

It's true, your cat and mouse do so long to be invited to tea.

Fish Talking to the Clouds

2009-10-07T21:52:00.000-06:00

What if....

Happy Anniversary, 38 years, October 2, 2009

2009-10-02T23:14:00.009-06:00

Tonight is my parent's 38th wedding anniversary. They went out for dinner, Italian food. My mom is feeling down and didn't have anything for the blog.

Her words to me last night were spoken quietly, accompanied by an insecure laugh, "What do you think I just sit around all day coming up with ideas?" I guess I had kind of thought she might. And I could tell she looked forward to feeling better and working with me again.

The following is one of my favorite love stories, from the day before my parent's 37th anniversary, October 1, 2008.

Last year, my mom almost died of pneumonia. Her stay in the hospital with late stage MS was incredibly stressful on her and my dad and the hospital staff.

What few people realize, myself included until this experience, is that when you are in the hospital, in order to receive the care needed, you must be able to communicate your needs with the staff. I knew based on a near death experience with my pop in the hospital, that having an advocate could be the difference between life and death. But I couldn't have imagined how ill equipped hospitals were to deal with patients with memory and independence complications.

While in the hospital, my mom was unable to lift her head. And due to over 40 years with MS she was in this situation with short term memory loss, and some dementia. So, she would forget little things like how to work the TV, and big things, like how to ring the nurse.

She would tell the dietician she had a test scheduled and that she wasn't supposed to get dinner. The dietician would take her on her word, my mom is quite convincing, and cancel her meal. But there wasn't a test.

We would stay with my mom at the hospital all day until we had to leave at 8 o'clock when visiting hours were over. After leaving, we would get calls from my mom panicking that she couldn't get a nurse. We would try to walk her through how to find the button, but often the button was moved. Sometimes someone would move even her phone and cut off the only thing she could remember, her home phone number. I had flewn in from Texas and nothing was as stressful as leaving her in the hospital for the nights alone.

When she couldn't stay in the hospital any longer, they discharged her to a nursing home. They took her there by ambulance and my dad met her there. My sister had researched the best nursing home, called ahead to get her therapy with a family friend in that nursing home. I was back in Texas.

Here is a piece of the call I got from my sister on October 1, 2008, one day before their 37th anniversary.

"YOUR father took her home! They called the police! He won't be able to take care of her. She hasn't been able to even lift her head for 3 weeks, she still has her cath in!"

I phone home.

"Hi, Dad."

"Well I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I took your mom home. The nursing home was too hot, and she doesn't do well in the heat, and we waited for 2 hours and no one greeted us, and your mother didn't want to stay there. I wheeled her outside to get her some cool air. And I realized as I was standing there that she hadn't seen the new roof, that they put on while she was in the hospital, so I asked her,

'Want to go see the new roof?'

"Italian Rice Pie"

2009-09-28T15:58:00.009-06:00

I was searching for an Italian Rice Pie recipe online, because it would be epic to get a hold of my mom's/pop's, and found this amazing blog entry. I hadn't thought to write in my mom's accent, it's genius.

"I would go over to your grandparent's house to make the crusts, and pop would do the fillings, he took care of his mother when she was sick and did all the cooking as a kid, his brothers and sisters did nothing, he always knew how to cook everything. When he married your grandmother, he had to teach her how to cook, she was 16 and didn't know how to boil water."

"I think I have a vague memory of that, I remember sitting in the den watching TV and non's kitchen table full of all the things which needed to be moved from the counter to roll out the pies, and it all seemed very serious."

"The crust is very diffrent for the italian rice pie, you use butter instead of Crisco and add vanilla or almond extract. It's a sweeter crust. Some people put maraschino cherries and pineapple. I like it without."

"Pop seriously loves his rice pie."

"It's really important when you make the dough not to use your hands, that's how it gets too tough." They have a tool you can buy, but I always used a fork and a knife for mine."

This illustration is of my non and pop's basement, I spent every holiday until I was at least 22 in their basement. It's fully furnished, which means nothing to a Texan. My pop has a full kitchen down there, with wood panelling, he did all the work himself. I remember lots of brown and orange, brown walls, orange carpet. The italian rice pie is on the little table my non would set up and serve dessert from.

"Me Making all the Pies for the Holidays" Rhode Island, 1978

2009-09-23T20:35:00.008-06:00

I spoke to my mom tonight and she was ready to go with a topic. She said she had been thinking of many. She started to suggest something fun that families can do together and that started her talking about cooking together.

"Maybe baking cookies, chocolate chip or peanut butter? Maybe baking a pie? How about... me making all the pies for the holidays?"she asked.

"Great idea!" I told her.

My mom was the best pie crust maker in our family. She made all the holiday pies until she lost her ability to stand long enough to roll the crusts. My dad helped her for a few years and even took over for a while. I tried twice—after years had passed since she rolled a crust—to have her instruct me.

The first year we tried to make a crust together, my mom and I used a bad can of Crisco. It had been left in the cupboard probably since the last pie she made. I was not aware of the age of the Crisco, my mom on the other hand "did think it smelled a little funny, but figured it would be fine." We served our chocolate cream pie that Thanksgiving and immediately almost everyone knew that something had gone horribly wrong. I turned to my mom for some explanation and she said something to the effect of, "I was worried about that." At which point my brother-in-law looked up from his empty pie plate and asked "worried about what?" My sister quickly razzed him, "You didn't taste anything funny about the pie?" Needless to say, my sister, dad, and I are much better about checking dates on food now.

The next time my mom and I tried to make a pie together was for Christmas. I relied on my mom for the recipe. We got the pie to my aunt and uncles, I was very hopeful—after all I bought the new Crisco myself— as my Nonnie, who always did the pie cutting and serving, went to cut our pie first. She suddenly looked to me in a panic as she absolutely could not get the knife to go through the crust. I got very mad at her for not "trying hard enough." It took my trying to cut the pie myself to accept our failure, and apologized to my non. My mom and I had forgotten one ingredient—water.

Don't worry though, my most recent pie crust experience was a success. I made it with my 4 year old. We signed on to allrecipes.com watched an instructional video and got an actual recipe. I spent much time thinking back to the disfunction of my first two pies, pre-internet.

Now back to my mom. I asked her to tell me more about her ability to make a delicious crust. Here's what she said.

"I didn't learn to make a crust until I married your father (age 21). I had cooked meals for my whole family growing up by age 10 and was always a baker, but I never tried crusts. Your dad used to make 50 thousand pies when he worked with his dad at Valley's." (Valley's Steak House, was by the airport in Warwick, RI. My grandpa Edge was the baker there, my dad a baker and grill man, my mom a waitress, and her mom, my non, a waitress/hostess/matchmaker. It's there that my parents met, there that my dad asked my non for my mom's phone number and there that my mom said to her mom, "don't you ever give that guy my number." The rest is history. I ate there before they closed it down and actually have a visual memory of the kitchen and my grandpa baking there.) "I thought if your dad could do make a pie so could I," she continued. "And so I tried to make a crust, he came home from work and found me with a crust that wouldn't cook and walked me through all he knew. It took me a while to get good, but I finally got the feel of it and then it was really easy. I made all the pies for the family on the holidays because my crusts were the best. My crusts tasted great because I used Crisco and not lard."

As for this little illustration, I have a photo on my desk of my mom, my sister, and me. I'm maybe 4. I used this photo as a guide to my mom's face. I put her in my favorite shirt of hers, the grey bunny shirt, and as I painted it, I saw how young she was when she had me, how gorgeous, how passionate about a clean house and delicious pies. I understood as I did when she was in the hospital last year, how much her presence ads to my parents' house. She was not a playful mom when I was young, but she was always busy making a stable environment for us. In the painting she is maybe 26, 10 years younger than me right now, and yet to me, I will never be as old as she was then and I'll also never have a brown fridge.

Texas Sky September 20, 2009 6 p.m.

2009-09-20T21:47:00.004-06:00

I was enjoying Sheila Vaughan's paintings today, and was a bit in awe of her beautiful surroundings. It started me thinking...if I love the Texas sky so much, I best paint it a little while I'm here. This is the view from the upper deck of my home.

Missing the Sky, Texas

2009-09-20T15:38:00.006-06:00

Missing the Ocean, Rhode Island

2009-09-19T21:02:00.010-06:00

A friend at work told me about the "Sara, Plain and Tall" books, and the beautiful way a woman from Maine misses the ocean when she moves to Kansas, but then misses the prairies when she returns to Maine.

I have lived in RI (West Warwick, and Narragansett), NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn), and now Texas (Austin).
I've tried to consider what visual I love most in each of the places.

West Warwick, RI: the old mills
Manhattan, NY: The Chrysler Building
Brooklyn, NY: The Brooklyn Bridge
Narragansett, RI: the ocean
Austin, TX: the sky

I realized tonight that the Texas sky saves me from claustrophobia, the same way the ocean provides extra breathing room in RI, and interestingly enough they are almost an exact visual flip of each other. I would simplify Rhode Island into a tiny sky and an endless ocean, while in Texas the sky never ends and it almost dwarfs the land.

I think it is good to experience living other places, but it is hard to miss things and feel whole any one place once you have moved around.

"A Nice Day with a Sunday Aid"

2009-09-19T20:53:00.005-06:00

My Dad had a commitment this Friday night, so a new aid came in and stayed with my mom. They had a nice time together and did much talking.

So when I called tonight, and asked my mom for a topic she said, "Well, let's see, maybe having a nice night with my aid."

This painting represents a harmonious conversation, the blue line represents that which always separates people, no matter how close they feel. But I chose colors from the same family, calming like a sunset, with peaceful lines.

Flower Tempest in Warm Colors

2009-09-18T20:46:00.007-06:00

Well, my mom did some screaming today. She used to scream a lot when I was a kid, but not as much with late stage MS. I asked her what she wanted me to blog about today and she said, "mommy was bad today." I had no idea, with all the screaming I heard as a kid, that my mom thought it was anything other than an appropriate response when feeling anger.

This was a painting of flowers and I painted over it with colors and patterns of anger and confusion.

"Our Bedroom with Blue Paint"

2009-09-18T16:35:00.006-06:00

One thing that bothers my mom as much as her weight is things that don't match, clothes, rooms, anything. My parent's bedroom currently has green wallpaper, blue/gray rug, and pink curtains. My dad is thinking of getting rid of their wallpaper through out the house and painting the walls. My dad wants to do the den first, my mom wants him to do the bedroom, because as she says, "atleast the den matches."

For this day's entry, she asked me to paint a picture of her room with her blue walls, instead of green wallpaper. I may try this as an acrylic as well, to really get the colors.

My parents have old spanish style furniture. One thing I thought was funny, was that I remember all the details about their room from my dusting chores on Saturday mornings.

Mom by Kim and Kim by Mom, Kent Hospital, RI

2009-09-14T16:28:00.008-06:00

I'm posting something very dear to me. Last year when my Mom almost died from pneumonia, I rushed home to be with her in the hospital. As she was getting better, my Dad would watch my daughter while I visited her. On one of our visits, I sketched her, and asked her to sketch me. She is often to self conscience to draw, but not that day.

"Your Bathroom"

2009-09-14T15:56:00.007-06:00

When we got on the phone tonight (Saturday, September 12, 2009, I'm late posting) my Mom was happy. She was out of her depression, as I had hoped was happening with her talking the night before. She was telling me how bad it's getting talking to her Mom, my Non, who has Alzheimers. My Dad joined in from the background to explain, "There's a lot of 'you knows' and 'the things.'" My Mom burst out laughing. "We are so getting so bad." she laughed.

My Mom's short term memory loss from her MS and my Non's word loss from the Alzheimers, make basic communicating hard. I talk to my Mom almost every day and my Non 3 times a week. Their brain illnesses manifest very differently in conversation.

I asked my Mom if she had ideas for the project. She said she had thought of one during the day, but she forgot to write it down. I asked if she wanted to think of a new one. She was more than happy to.

"Maybe something about missing you, I know we already did that, how about your bathroom?"

"My bathroom?" I asked.

"Or your house? I don't know what it looks like where you live. I know you've sent pictures, but I can't picture it." she explained.

I liked the idea of the bathroom, so I painted my favorite one, without all the stuff on the counter, the way I like it.

Rainbow Wish

2009-09-11T21:22:00.003-06:00

When my Mom gets depressed she gets quiet and when she talks her voice is small. When she is starting to come out of her depression she starts to talk a little. Tonight, she began our phone conversation in a small voice, almost rambling. It was comforting to hear her thoughts without pause, I much prefer it to silence.

"I'm so bad." she started. "I've got to get out of this depression." "I hate this disease. I've had it for so long." (over 40 years) I'm lucky I'm still walking. But I can only do 2 laps I used to do 10 but when I'm depressed I don't push myself."

We talked about the cruise our family took when I was 16 and she could still walk. How while on the Island of Haiti, on the walk back to the boat from lunch, she got so over heated that she suddenly lost her ability to walk. My Dad had to carry her a long way and it was very hot. I can picture it in my mind and would have painted it tonight, except I thought to ask her one more time, for a topic for our art project, after weeks without one.

I heard her hesitate and then like rain after a Texas drought.

"Ummm, she said in a whisper, "a rainbow is ...is that it? a rainbow in the sky, a sign of life going on, sign of god, rainbow coming up, god's with you shining over you in his rainbow. my neck is cramping it's my personality right now dad says he'll do all the worrying, I have something to worry about I can't walk, I can't do crap, I'm numb in my hands, I'm numb in my feet, I'm not a normal person, I'm getting fat and I haven't been on the scale."

Watermelon for Summer

2009-09-11T20:40:00.010-06:00

My Mom has been depressed for a few weeks now. Too depressed to give any painting topics. She says she is not creative.

I told her my daughter and I were eating watermelon. She commented that she loved watermelon and hadn't had any yet this summer. She talked about her Dad always having a big watermelon in his second fridge downstairs and how they would eat it out back. I stayed at my Non and Pop's this summer and it's true he did still keep a large watermelon in the fridge downstairs all summer. You have to love that kind of consistency.

My Dad walked in from grocery shopping during our talk, so I reminded her to ask him to get some the next time he went to the store. With her short term memory loss, she had already forgotten.

"Honey." she said. "Next time you go to the store can you buy me some watermelon?"

"Sure Babe," he answered without hesitation. "You want some watermelon, I'll get you some."

It must be hard to be so reliant on another person, but they manage it pretty well.

She never officially asked me to paint a watermelon, but the beauty of this project is that I get to talk to her and remember things even when she is too depressed to be creative.

Side Note

2009-09-04T20:10:00.003-06:00

I sent print outs of the collaboration project thus far to Rhode Island, for to my Mom. They got it in the mail today. My Dad read it and really likes it. My Mom said it's really nice. Dad said he was learning new things. He pointed out some typos, and a few factual errors. Thanks Dad. For instance, he did the icing and stinging in the API therapy, and my Mom didn't ride horses from Warwick to Goddard Park, she rode in Warwick and Goddard Park. It never hurts to have more eyes.

My Mom was laughing at the end of the phone conversation over something my Dad said. I asked her what it was, but she was laughing too hard to speak. My Dad shouted from the background, "when she's done she doesn't plug it in and then it has no power when I need it." They were in the bathroom brushing their teeth together getting ready for bed. When he went to use his power tooth brush it was out of juice. My Mom thought that was hysterical.

"Coffee not Chocolate"

2009-09-04T13:21:00.013-06:00

My Dad is home from the hospital. My sister and her 2 kids were staying at the house this week, while my Dad recovered. I spoke with them everyday, it sounded like a hard week for everyone. I had thought we might go to help, but didn't in the end. My daughter is still packed and ready (her decision). My Mom and I did not work on the project last week, there was too much going on.

I finally spoke with my Mom today about the project. She is depressed again, 16 days after the end of her last tour. She said that she is always depressed, which is not always the case, but when she is down she can't be convinced otherwise.

I could not get a direct art request from her. Somehow though, we started talking about chocolate.

"I don't like chocolate." "I know most women do." "I must get it from my father, he doesn't like chocolate either." "I'm not a chocolate person (insert yuck face visual here, I know she made it, even when I can't see her). "I like coffee better."

"Maybe I'll paint coffee ice cream?" I said.

"That sounds good." she said

This painting shows exactly how my Mom orders her ice cream, small in a cup with a sugar cone on top. My Mom's M.S. has taken away many things, one thing is eating ice cream from a cone, but that doesn't mean, she can't get one on top.

Later in the night I called back, and told her I posted the coffee ice cream painting, my Mom added, "Coffee is a Rhode Island thing."

She makes an important point. They make coffee syrup in Rhode Island for your milk. So in school you could get a plain, chocolate, or coffee milk at lunch, and at Burger King you can order a Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, or Coffee shake. Most families keep a bottle of "Eclipse" coffee syrup in the fridge. Frankly, the rest of the country is missing out.

"Get Well Soon"

2009-09-04T11:55:00.005-06:00

On this night of the "mom collaboration," my Dad was in the hospital. My Mom wanted to go see him but there was no way to get her there (they are short on hands with me in Texas). My sister had my Mom write him a letter so she could bring it to the hospital when she went that night.

The painting is my take on their imposed separation. My Dad is represented by the medical bed and my Mom by the wheel of her wheel chair.

"Lonely and Missing You"

2009-08-27T21:36:00.007-06:00

On this night I asked my Mom what she was thinking of for our art project. Here is how the conversation went.

Me: "Have you thought of an art topic for tonight?"

Mom: "Hmmmm, maybe lonely, or missing you."

Me: "I can paint that."
"And what would you like to say about that?"

Mom (giggling, because she isn't usually this direct): "I don't want to say I HATE it..maybe dislike, no...wish it were different." "I don't like you living so far away."

I decided to paint these little dots that represented me and my Mom. Sitting in dots about the size of our two states, on a world that showed only us. Tonight is the night before my Dad gets a sudden heart procedure, nothing like two big things making me wish I was in RI right now.

"I haven't been in the pool once this Summer"

2009-08-27T21:28:00.004-06:00

On this night my Mom asked for a painting of a pool with people around it. I managed a painting of her parents' pool. Which she misses swimming in very much. I somehow got her in my Non and Pop's pool about 10 years back. Their yard is all cement and colored stones, and stairs (8 to the pool). The last time I took her to the pool, she could walk further with her walker and I could get her up and down stairs alone. I remember trying to figure out how to, get her close to the pool with leg brace and a bathing suit, how to get her to sit on the ground so to lift her in the pool. I remember feeling very smart and proud for a second and then realizing I wasn't positive I could lift her out, or get her standing again should we manage that part. Luckily it all worked out.

My grandparents' pool is a paradise. I'll still owe my Mom her a painting with the people around the pool, she is very social, this must be the pool lonely without her.

"I used to ride horses as a kid"

2009-08-27T21:19:00.003-06:00

I am always so happy to hear that before my Mom was wheelchair bound, she got to ride horses, all over Warwick, back when it was farm land and not a big set of malls. I asked her for a topic on this night and she started telling me the story of riding horses. It's one of those stories that a loved one tells over but over and you don't really mind. This project, has me asking some new questions and getting some new details on all the stories.

Here is the story, "I used to ride horses with my friend Chris, she lived by the Crow's Nest and we would ride over where Apex is, back then, there wasn't anything there." Nonnie didn't like her though and made me stop being friends with her. She ended up becoming a nurse, so how bad could she be?"

I wonder how bad anyone could be who rode horses with a girlfriend.

My mom explained tonight that they also used to ride down to Goddard Park along the train tracks. She thought the horse was brown.

Mr. Dog Dog Dreaming of Fish

2009-08-21T17:08:00.004-06:00

This was inspired by collaboration #2 (Dog Dreaming of Flight). I see maybe a dog series, or a dog children's book...

"Let's Go Back to the Diner" North Kingstown, RI

2009-08-19T22:29:00.006-06:00

This is Day 7 of the mother/daughter collaboration. What I hadn't told you was that for the first 6 days, my mom was completely depressed and not really wanting to continue living. Tonight, I called and she was, "Happy Patty," as my Dad calls her. I'm sharing this now because my Mom asked me to document how she was depressed and now she is "up." I'm not exactly sure when it started, but for at least 4 years, my Mom has had to deal with cyclical depression. Almost like clock work, her disease has her depressed for 2 weeks and then up for 2. It's something we still haven't gotten used too.

Tonight when I mentioned her needing to give me my topic of inspiration, she said happily, "Hmmm, a topic?" She thought about her first dog, Sandy, and then excitedly said, "Let's go back to the diner days." This is when she was a teenager and my Aunt Lou and my Grandparents had restaurants on the same street in North Kingstown, RI. "Your Aunt Lou's Restaurant was a gold mine, and your Grandmother closed her's down after a year, because she didn't want to compete with her sister."

I used to dance as a kid in my Aunt Lou's Restaurant (The Dutch Door), and customers would buy me gifts. My Aunty Lou would take me to the beach to fly kites and to Goddard Park to ride ponies and leave my Mom and Non working. It was awesome.

I have no memories of my Grandparent's diner. All I know is that it was called the "Kingstown Diner," (thank you again google image search, this may be the actual diner) and my grandpa was the chef, he had an oyster bar and clam cakes and chowder for the beach goers, and from what he says, a bunch of house wives would drop off their empty pots in the morning to be filled by him with dinner for the night. That way their husbands would think they had been cooking all day. He loves telling that story. Based on this diner website, diners were actually invented in RI, to feed blue collars working the night shift.

I told my mom about the movie "Julie and Julia," she's up beat enough to want to get out of the house and see a movie. She said, "we should do a blog, then they could do a movie about us, you in Texas and me in RI." I said, "We are doing a blog." "That's great." she said.

Tonight, she was so loud with excitement on the phone that at one point after she said another, "That's a great idea." my Dad's ears perked up and I heard him say in the background, "What's a great idea? All great ideas go through me. " Those care givers are too funny.

Bee Nap-py -ping

2009-08-19T22:23:00.008-06:00

Tonight, my Mom chose a bee. This bee is full and happy and napping on his flower.

We got talking about her API Therapy (bee therapy) that she and my Dad bravely tried/endured for 6 months. "It was crazy," she said. "You could hear the bees buzzing in the hall closet." My Mom had heard reports that being stung by bees could decrease MS symptoms, and for 6 months she was off all medication. My Dad would mark the spot to be stung with marker, put ice on the chosen spot and pull an unlucky bee from the jar with medical tweezers and place it on my Mom, the bee would sting her and die. My Mom mentioned storing the jar of dead bees next to the live ones, I'll have to check with my Dad on that one. I'd like to apologize to the bee universe on behalf of my whole family if that did happen.

One night my Mom insisted she could do it herself, she was home with my sister. I was living in NYC. She let all the bees loose, and as she says, "your sister wanted to kill me."

I thought for the first time, how sad a fate it is for the poor medicinal bee.

Where to? Pontiac Lemans, Rhode Island, 1979

2009-08-17T22:49:00.008-06:00

Day 5 of collaboration with Mom.

I called to tell my Mom we sold a painting (Dog Dreaming of Flight, collaboration day #2), she was excited and would take no credit.

Today's painting post, she asked for a painting of our family dog Fluffy. We talked about Fluffy and how he used to jump up in the back window of my Mom's Pontiac (thank you google image search). My sister and I were always without seat belts waving to the cars behind us, or swearing at the bad drivers in Italian (we didn't know we were swearing at the time). My Mom at her tallest was 5'1" and you couldn't see her head when she was driving.

This painting shows many things that I miss from childhood: my Mom driving us around, her playboy bunny grey t-shirt, our dog Fluffy, driving in a car with the windows open, cars without bucket seats, and metal bumpers.

My husband informs me that RI was behind the times with seat belt safety and that they did wear seat belts in the 70s in California.

Wild Pink Beach Roses

2009-08-16T22:13:00.003-06:00

For today's art collaboration my mom said, "maybe a flower." I asked, "What color?" "Pink." she replied. "In a vase?" I asked because she was never that fond of flowers. "No, wild." she answered. So here they are wild pink roses, that happen to bloom by the beach in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island, Narragansett Beach in Winter from the North Pavilion

2009-08-15T22:58:00.010-06:00

Before we moved to Austin, my family and I lived a few miles north of Narragansett Beach. It is my favorite beach. I learned to surf there at age 22. We were able to enjoy it for a while this summer, when we spent 3 weeks with my family in RI. This painting is done from a video still of the beach two winters ago. My husband and I had taken my daughter there to see snow on the beach.

My mom asked yesterday, on day three of her collaborating with me on this blog, for a beach painting. And thanks to her request, I've managed to paint a painting that I have wanted to paint for two years. It's of my husband and our daughter at the Narragansett Beach North Pavilion (a great spot to look for surf, by the break just south, off the pine trees.)

My mom as I've mentioned is mostly house bound due to her MS. I asked her why the beach? She said, "I miss the beach, and getting a tan." "The beach is one of many the things I miss."she continued. "Dad says I don't have olive skin any more, but I think I do." I told her I was sure she still had olive skin.

When I was young, getting a "nice tan" was almost a full time job for my mom, who is half Italian. As her MS progressed she had to stop any sunning, because when she got too hot, she would lose her ability to walk.

There are very few Italian Americans in Austin. And a few people here have commented on my olive skin. It has been a great compliment to this english watered down version of my beautiful mother. When I tell her folks down here think I have olive skin, she laughs.

Dog Dreaming of Flight

2009-08-14T16:57:00.006-06:00

It's day 2 of my collaboration with my mom in RI. Yesterday, she asked for bird art, later I learned she was imagining a flying bird. Today she asked for a dog, so I combined the flying birds with the dog. I think the dog is dreaming of flight as is my mom. Our dog fluffy lived till he was almost 19 years old, following my mom everywhere. They were very close and I'm sure he was staying alive to be with her because she had an illness. He died over ten years ago. My mom still got around with her walker then, but had already lost her ability to drive safely, so she was house bound often. Tomorrow, she has asked for the beach.

Bird in Winter Singing of Spring

2009-08-12T10:50:00.003-06:00

I've decided to collaborate with my mom in RI on this art blog for as long as she'll agree.

My mom has only seen the internet a handful of times, so she may never see this, only hear of it. She has been ill with Multiple Sclerosis for 36 years, she was diagnosed while carrying me. She would tell you she can't draw, although I saw promise when teaching her a few lessons. I miss her terribly when I am in Texas. This collaboration is an attempt to connect with her on a new and meaningful way, while being 2000 miles away. Her disease has her feeling down this week, so all I could get her to agree to, was giving me a topic to work on. As we hung up the phone last night, she said, "I don't know, a bird?"

The bird I've posted is based on a description of a Japanese wood cut, that I cannot find an image of, so I've created my own image. I told my mom this morning that I illustrated a bird and how much I enjoyed her topic choice, she said, "Birds are beautiful, flying so free in the sky." She spends almost all of her waking hours in her wheel chair, sitting very still. I think I should paint her a flying bird. As for tonight's topic, she said quietly, "a dog?"

Homegrown Heirloom Tomato on a Manmade Purple Red Apron

2009-06-17T21:47:00.006-06:00

I love combining things from nature with manmade plastic kid things. This is my third painting that incorporates these two types of items. I finally bought myself some lights. I find that I get the best contrast for a still life, when I paint in the dark with two spotlights. As a kid, my friend and I used to love to draw in the dark without any light and then turn on the light and see what we made.
$50 +s/h

Super Baby-Red Strawberries

2009-06-17T14:21:00.004-06:00

Working hard on my children's book. "Super Baby—Adventures in Color."

Ballet Austin Scenery

2009-06-14T21:45:00.003-06:00

Well, here is a shot of the final backdrop for the play. The play was wonderful, the "Bella the Bat" story and music were totally heart warming. The kids did great, and I got teary eyed watching them give it their all. The room that it was held in is the most beautiful of dance rooms, with lots of natural light.

Adding Bats to the Bat Bridge @ Ballet Austin

2009-06-12T11:02:00.006-06:00

Today is the performance at Ballet Austin. Here is a photo of me from yesterday. I'm adding the little bats that the older kids made to the Congress Bridge piece of the scenery. Adding their bats really made the scenery come alive.

Costumes Day 1 @ Ballet Austin

2009-06-11T09:05:00.003-06:00

The youngest of the kids will be flowers in this Friday's play at Ballet Austin. I'm posting a photo of the flower petals that the 4-5 year olds decorated with sequins and glue. I'm really enjoying teaching art. The thing I love best about teaching is seeing a kid who thinks their art is terrible and showing them otherwise.