Rhode Island, Narragansett Beach in Winter from the North Pavilion

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

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

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

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

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

Ballet Austin Scenery

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

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

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.

Bella Bat @ Ballet Austin

I was chosen to create the scenery for a kids camp play happening this week and next at Ballet Austin. There are 10 panels total, each 4' x 8'. Miss Joan and her husband Billy are the geniuses behind the performance camp. Miss Joan and her sister helped paint the panels. This week I'm teaching at the camp, 27 kids from age 4-8. Fun city.

Bowling in Color

Kids today are surrounded by colorful, beautiful objects and clothes. My adult world of grey and black and sometimes pale pink, can't touch it. My daughter has this tiny ceramic bowling set. Today we sat and painted together. She painted what I thought was an abstract, but I was quickly told that it was a "princess skirt." Sounds genius to me. I painted the tiny bowling pins and ball on her white table with her tempera paint, with a brush that was slightly too big. It's so much easier to paint with her, then to look for time to paint without her.
$100 +s/h

I Love Barbie

It's Barbie's 50th birthday this year. In honor of the "Barbie Doll," here's my Barbie story and painting.

As a kid (I was born in 1973), my best friend and I played with many Barbie dolls, our Barbies had a plane, a hot tub, a camper, and a sweet apartment. To give you an idea of what kind of girls we were, my best friend and I also: rode our bikes down sand dunes, rescued animals, played war with batteries, did some break dancing, were competitive gymnasts, lifted weights, spent all day in the woods, and choreographed dances to an Alvin and the Chipmunks LP full of pop covers.

I left for NYC after high school, where I took classes on sexism, at the New School. I learned there that Barbie was evil and one of the reasons for the oppression of women, (her and her impossible figure and straight hair). I quickly wrote off Barbie.

Ten years later, in 2005, I give birth to my baby girl.

In 2008, at age three, she talked me into the unthinkable, renting a Barbie movie. "Barbie and the Diamond Castle" (rocking movie) to be exact. I am that night shocked to see Barbie totally EMPOWERED. It's something you never see in the princess movies, "Stay true to your friends," was the main message. She supports herself, is kind, smart, and a rescuer. The movie is awesome with great music by Katharine McPhee.

That night I was magically transformed back into a fan of "Barbie." She may not be perfect, but at least she's trying.

And to Barbie, I say, "Sorry old friend."

Super Baby- Adventures in Color

I've decided to start up a blog for my "Super Baby" books. I've written another children's picture book: "Super Baby—Adventures in Color." I'll post all the illustrations there, so you all can watch the book develop day by day. I've posted a handful of pages here from my other picture books, but I think this will be much more fun, to post it page by page.

This first post is my first sketch of the little Super Baby character with a type treatment. My favorite part so far the 'S' of hair on the top of his head.

Red Barn: Austin, Texas

I went back in on this painting. I wasn't happy with it, but I thought it had potential. The original was done "en plein air" the rest of the work done from memory. Basically, I went in and simplified the composition and added more of the complimentary color to the shadows.

Oregon in Green and Gold

This painting is for a favorite neighbor, it's an exchange for some wonderful dog watching they did a ways back. The painting is a mountain top in Oregon. They live here in Austin, but they miss Oregon. I've never been to Oregon, so obviously this painting is from a photo. It's funny how when you paint from a photo there is so much less information to translate on to the canvas. I haven't been painting too much this year. Luckily, this one came very easy, the less I paint the more fearful I am about picking up a brush. I applied to RISD's MFA program and didn't get in. I didn't have $68,000 laying around, so it's probably a blessing. I have trouble painting after rejection. I have read, in the "Artist's Way" that this is very normal and the only cure is to constantly submit work while continuing to paint. Of course thick skin and a core belief in one's worth wouldn't hurt.

Tea for Two

I'm still hooked on pastels. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I was pretty sure my dance with mint green in the 80s had turned me off of them forever. But driving in Austin the other day, I saw an old light blue VW BUG and the love affair began again. I'm painting all my tea, white, because I prefer my tea with milk and honey. My original white tea painting, was based on a story from my NYC friend who was drinking a cup of actual "white tea," which I imagine isn't white in color at all. But I can't say for sure.

This painting is on rough, 300lb, paper, I much prefer the results on smooth paper, as seen in yesterday's painting.

I'm feeling a bit tired right now. I had a great day with my daughter. We saw lots of friends, went swimming at the gym, and ate gumbo at the opening of a new farm in east Austin. I have dishes and laundry still to do before bed. I'm missing my husband who is in RI for the release of his new book. Congratulations, Hubby!

White Tea, a Cup, a Saucer, a Spoon, a Napkin, and Five Minutes of Peace

One of my previous illustrations, "China Cup and Saucer with White Tea," was chosen for the cover of a book of recipes for Babington's English Tea Rooms, in Rome, Italy. The compliment of their choosing my illustration, has inspired another illustration of white tea, so I now have a white tea series started.

I'm loving pastel colors lately, like the ones you see on old VW bugs. And I am also focused when painting on objects that share the same color with the background they are in front of. It makes for new forms and shapes, interesting beginnings and endings to form. It's not as clear in this illustration because I use ink for outlines.

Both of my white tea illustrations were created from my minds eye, inspired by a story my friend Margie, in NYC told me, of sitting down to a lovely cup of white tea. Luckily, she tells a great story with many beautiful visual details. The busier I get the more important it is to take time for myself, drinking delicious tea is a great way to start. My tea is often found untouched and cold, but I get credit for making it, right? As Bob says, "Baby steps."

In other news, a fun new London gallery, Art Under a Monkey, has asked to represent my art. I'm completely thrilled and love their name. It's as silly as I am. The website should be finished in May.

I'm Italian and English, so it's fun to be connected to my roots in these two ways on one post.

"Balphabet" 4

Here is a page with a few bat letters. I really enjoyed illustrating these. I like the contrast between, the pages with one large illustration and the pages with lots of little ones. Falconer does this very well in his Olivia books.

"Balphabet" 3

This is the spread from 'S' night. With the whole family.

"Balphabet" 2

Here is another illustration from "Balphabet."

"Balphabet"

I've been busy working on a children's book entitled "Balphabet" these past weeks. It's about a girl, her bat, and their love of letters.

Sometimes it's hard to reconcile all my artist selves. I am a painter, an illustrator, and a designer. And when I'm not busy trying to disown my "commercial" art self, I can see the blessings of all my training.