Sushi Candy with Gwendolyn Waite

Yummy idea for a birthday party. Candy sushi. Rice Krispie bars rolled out thin in waxed paper on the porch on a cool November Minnesota evening. (Her son wanted an evening party. Too funny, and well you can guess that kid is pretty clever.) Gwen had all the official trays and grass and chop sticks. They turned out great and taste good too.

I have to tell you about the mom Gwen. She is a wonderful photographer and takes pictures of kids and babies and newborns. Here is her site.......

Gwendolyn Waite Photography

all i did was listen ... rachel awes

go visit rachel's blog and see her fab new artwork here!

Molly Young

magicmolly.tumblr.com

SERIOUSLY you will have to check out Magic Molly. I guarantee it.

Our garden meets the Newspaper bin planter

cherry toms coming fast, so good eaten right out of the garden, yum

A couple views of the garden taken tonight, already I am planning next years garden.

Blade Diary

Loving this! What a great idea. Have a good Labor Day weekend.

Sabrina Ward Harrison

True Living Project here......................

Interview with Mark Granlund

Mark Granlund is a visual artist living and working in Saint Paul, MN.

4.

His early drawing days were spent doodling during school. He could be found drawing pictures from sports magazines, football players and animals. He worked from a lot of how to draw books. When he was about 10-12 he was drwing a lot of sports figures. He would measure all the parts of the body to get the right proportions.

5.

Mark says he always encourages his daughter. She is a good drawer and really amazing musically. she really likes writing. She has written several books already which are created at bedtime. Maddy has written and printed a pook with photogaphs of her dolls. Your kids lead the way. they are naturally creative people. It is a matter of not getting in the way. He just follows her interests. Maddy plays clarinet, keyboard and piano. She is 12. She has been enjoying making videos. She is very focused when she works. Recently she worked on a video of a family vacation that she had done a lot of filming during. She edited it for a solid 2 weeks with a soundtrack finding just the right songs. It ended up being a half hour video which turned out great.

Monday Monday ...... Free Love Apparel

Love Family Reunions.......

Love Reconnecting with cousins.........

Love finding out that my little cousin is an artist.........

Love her shirts above.............

Free Love Apparel.com.............

Love ya : ) Aren't they cool shirts? !!!!!!!!

Michael Jackson

To honor an icon..... on the bridge crossing over

He was definitely a wonder

Fertile Ground by Mark Granlund

"The fertile ground of the natural world and of the child's consciousness are environments which promote creativity. Our stages of development, if encouraged, naturally lead to an existence full of creativity and deep understanding. We, as parents, can provide a supportive environment to help our children become the most creative, compassionate and capable people to walk the face of the earth."

Fertile Ground is a personal look at the relationship between humans and nature through the eyes of a parent. Taking into account his own childhood and parenting experience, Mark Granlund weaves together insights and practical ideas for raising children in a nature-minded manner.

Included in Fertile Ground is information on developmental theories by Piaget and Erickson and how nature activities can support your child's physical, psychosocial and cognitive development. Stories of children and families interacting with nature, an overview of our development in relation to nature and many resources provide parents with information needed to parent in partnership with the planet.

Jack Press Saint Paul, MN

Monterey print studio

This is the wonderful studio that I printed in in Monterey. My friend has ample table space to spread out, glass for rolling out ink and a paper soaking area and a clean table for finished prints. I did a combination of trace monotypes, collage, collograph and linoleum.

Monoprint - this printing enables you to get only one print, sometimes an additional ghost print, ink is applied to a plate and paper is laid on top and run through the press

Collograph - a printing plate is made with a slightly raised surface by applying glue and textures to its surface, ink is applied with a roller and the raised surfaces print darker also causing the paper to emboss

Trace monoprints - a printing plate is inked and paper is laid down on top of the plate, drawing on the back of the paper imprints the paper with a softened line and additional smudges with the paper is pulled up

BLU

Fino from blu on Vimeo.

We are really focused on animation over here because we have seen some great children's short film and animation from the Twin Cities Film Festival. I will post some of the outcomes here that the kids and their friends have been making. In the meantime enjoy this eyebulging work of BLU.

An Eye for Annai

This animation is from the burst of beaden website. Artists are Jon Klassen and Dan Rodrigues.

Art in Bloom at MIA

April 30 thru May 3 is Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Art Institute. This year there were so many people who wanted to donate flower arrangements to the artwork that they increased the number and added more art entries. People create and donate flowers that relate to a designated art piece and display it next to the piece. It will start on a Thursday and last through the weekend. Just had to share this. It is always worth the trip.

Russian scarves and drawing

Of course this drawing is influenced from these wonderful shawls. Who could resist?

These scarves are from the book, 'Russian KERCHIEFS and SHAWLS'  by Aurora Art Publishers

Monoprints

Heart Guitar, LE

Nickel Squash Harp, LE

Harvester, LE

Apollo by Jane Pack

LE

LE

LE

Here are some monoprints. It is an easy process inking up a plate and rubbing away those areas that you wish to be white.  Edgar Degas did quite a lot of these monoprints at a time when the printmaking process wasn't considered legitimate in its own right. Monoprints were considered pre-drawings to later finished works. There is a monoprint by Jane Pack and then the ballerina's are Degas' where you can really see the beauty of the rubbed surface.  I created the others. There is a fair amount of pressure with these prints but it is possible to create prints with less pressure. I will write some next week about ways to do printing without a press.

Have a great spring weekend.

Catalina Estrada

These images are from Catalina Estrada.   The top two are more typical of her work and the next one is a drawing which I hadn't previously seen. The bottom two details are a rare close up of her work. I think that she works mostly on Illustrator but the last two are watercolor paintings with acrylic on top detailing.  It is really a treat to be able to see the  surface on this. Another way that she works that I read which I think is perfect for her is spray painting and then drawing on top of the work. The spray paint really gives the look of airbrush or Illustrator and I really like that she discovered that. 

Bird x Bird

Here is a show that is so full of nature and art and birds and color and imagination and support for our family of birds in Minnesota that it is one not to miss.  But.....if you do......since it is only for one day their website is great and lists all this images and artists of the shows for the entire history of this benefit auction show. You can view this years beauties and many of the previous. tweet, i mean sweet

Art-O-Mat

ARTBAR by Tom Rohr

cracker by Herbert Hoover

We decided to make Fimo animals. Here are some of the results.

This is the machine that is ker-plunking at Chambers. It is a fairly plain one

and we were kind of dissapointed that it didn't have the flashing kitschy graphics on it but

think of large snowy white winter Abominable with knobs... or don't.

Art-O-Mat here is a business of selling art in vending machines. Old cigarette machines are converted into art dispensers and you can buy original art with a $5 token. Choose the pull you want with a small descriptive image above on the outer door pull the knob and ker-plunk out spits your piece of original art. We have made some work for the machines. Artwork is approved and you are asked to submit work that has the feel of original pieces rather than 'factory made' and the catch being you must submit 50 at a time. Half of the money goes to the artist and the other half goes to the business where the machine is homed or is forwarded to a worthy cause chosen by the business. Minneapolis has its own Art-O-Mat in the Chambers a hotel that is really too cool for school. Check out their website for images of other machines and views of the artists that are represented. Affordable art for shallow pocket collectors with pop-art hearts. I'll ride that bike.

Come see the new website!

Yeah, the website is up and running . I am so excited to have this completed an show you some shtufff! There is current and archives and backdrop and labyrinth projects. Go check it out. 

The martians were at my house again last night building speech podiums and dance floors. The show is today with 3 performances back to back. I wouldn't miss it. The last comment out of young man C's mouth before dropping him off was "I hope she remembers the line 'I promise world health and mass destruction, this ad has been approved by Alien Bob."  Aren't kids cute?...mass destruction...they could never....my living room is a disaster, and the dining room and the kitchen and all the closets upstairs but that can be remedied. If it's art it's all good. 

Toasties are here!

Mail!!!!!!!!!

Beth Who Knits sent the Toasties! Isn't she quick? Isn't she talented? Isn't she fabulous? 

Yes!

They fit perfect and are just the right color with flecks of burgandy, burnt orange, white and just a splash of sage. They are all mine until my daughter comes home from school to steal them.