Monday, August 31, 2009

25 ways my life is different from a year ago


One year ago today my husband, one-year-old son and I began our cross-country journey from Los Angeles (population 9 million) to Asheville, NC (population 73,000).

For the past 20 years I’ve lived in some really big cities (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles). Everyday I’m amazed at how different my life is now in this small mountain community. I wasn’t sure what to expect after living the city life for so many years but I adjusted much better than I expected. I was definitely ready for the change. I feel really fortunate to have been able to pick-up and move the way we did and I look back on the packing, cross-country driving, house hunting/closing, unpacking and I feel exhausted just remembering it all. I think about the differences in my life everyday so I thought I’d post them...

I…

Am paying off a mortgage rather than paying rent to a crazy/mean landlady. (And our mortgage is less than half of what our L.A. rent used to be.)

Have a compost pile.

Spend most days outside hiking, swimming, painting with Sam and even (once) floating down the Green River in an inner tube (not with Sam).

Have met some amazing new friends…but miss my L.A. friends dearly.

Wear Teva sandals (which I used to think were hideous and still kinda do) everyday.

Have a studio with a door (actually 2 doors) instead of the dining room in the middle of the house.

Have painted more this year than the last few years combined.

Pay attention to the weather report.

Have realized that my hippie-crystal-stick deodorant is not effective in humid climates.

Know where my umbrella is.

Have a library card.

Miss having 2 NPR stations to choose from. We only get NPR after 3:00 p.m. here.

Know all of the neighbors on our street.

Am amazed at the never-ending list of things to do when you own a house.

Do not fear that our stroller will be stolen off our front porch (like it was in L.A.)

Am still amazed that during Asheville rush hour it only takes me an additional 5 minutes to get home.

Must order most art supplies online (rather than go to one of 4 art supply stores that used to be within a mile from my L.A. house).

Know what poison ivy looks like.

Have re-discovered how annoying mosquitoes are.

Am at least 5 hours (vs. 10 minutes) from the ocean.

Will probably go to the ocean more than I did in L.A.

Cannot see any movie that I want (apparently Asheville is not considered a “select city”).

Run into someone I know pretty much everywhere I go here.

Go to sleep listening to frogs and crickets.

Think to myself everyday “I love it here”.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New Paintings for Lily Moon Show


"too happy" - 5" x 5". My original plans were to paint something similar to an Echinacea flower. I love the way the petals grow downward. They're really beautiful but not as "perky" as most flowers. But once I started painting it took on a life of it's own. But at least you know what my inspiration was.


"can I come home now?" - 5" x 5". The leaves on the tree are metallic copper.


"nice to me" - 5" x 5". The pom poms are lightly "sprinkled" with metallic silver dots.


"with abandon" - 19" x 7" - details and mandalas painted with metallic copper. I started this painting in Los Angeles well over a year ago which explains the title. Once again, this scan is not very good. Something about the wood grain or brush strokes showing through really messes things up. I brought it out and finished it a couple of weeks ago. It was a tough piece to do because it is very glossy (which hurts my eyes after a while) and it was very difficult to get the colors to look accurate on this intense orange. I think that's why I abandoned it in the first place. I'm pleased with the result but man, it took a long time to get there!

All of these paintings will be available online the day of the show at 6:00 p.m. PST. Click here for more info on the show.

Lily Moon Show at Halogen Gallery this Weekend


I will have 4 new paintings for this show as well as some other previously seen paintings. My drawings and prints will be there too. If you live in the area please check it out. Click here for more info on the show and the gallery. Opening reception is this Friday from 6-10 p.m.

I will post the new work soon.

Bat!

Okay, it has been a crazy 24 hours. Last night my husband heard a rustling behind our blinds in our bedroom and he went to investigate and a bat flew out! I was pretty much already asleep when this happened and woke up to my husband's strange-sounding voice saying "Oh my god!!" Well, needless to say I didn't go back to sleep for a while. We ended up sleeping on an air mattress in my studio. We couldn't find the bat last night but my husband found it this morning under one of the flaps of the blind. It was really creepy looking. We tried to capture it but it got away and I let out a scream that I don't think I've ever heard before. Blood-curdling, I would call it. Anyway, animal control came out to get it this morning. Phew! Crazy night. We are definitely country folk now.

I wish I had gotten a picture of it for the post but every time I think of it I get chills so maybe it's a good thing that I'm sparing all of you.