“Tweety Owl”

Wes named this one “Tweety Owl.” There’s also “Owl with the Black Eye” (not shown). I love Wes!!

Saturday

• I took the time this week to clean my studio a little… this is my painting area. The computer is my constant companion… for music, podcasts and e-mail… as well as my son Christer as a little boy (b/w photo).
• And here is a little owl I made today for Carol!

Two Girls on the Purple Cat

• Feeling better today… thank you for encouraging comments… darn depression!!
• This little piece on paper is for sale here.
• Listening to Hootie & the Blowfish!!!
• Sunny, windy and cold.
• Dreams of Seattle… we might move as soon as this summer!
• Some inspiration for you if you have some time to kill: Kaela Graham, Takashi Iwasaki, Matte Stephens, and Kristen Schiele.

Staying Silly, Staying Sweet

• Up and down lately, hormones, spring fever, whatever. I have felt a little like the little girl above… kind of confused and surprised that she is still here. Really? All will be well? Okay, I’ll believe you.
• My days are focused primarily on building the body of work for the Oklahoma City show …just a month away… that is why you see so many new girls!
• Usually this is the week that I’m packing and preparing to go to Artfest… I’ve attended this creativity conference for SIX years! (Three years as a student, three years as a teacher.) I will miss it!
• Why am I not going? Honestly this: I wasn’t picked to teach this year, and funds are low enough that I couldn’t justify going…
• Disappointments of this kind are part of every life, every career… it’s okay… though I cried at the time!
• 2008 Artfesters: HAVE A GREAT RETREAT!!! See you next year!

Real Simple’s Simply Stated Blog

• Melissa recently told me I was featured on Real Simple’s Simply Stated blog (Holly Becker of decor8 picked 60 artists for her “Affordable Art Roundup for Kids.” I was among the group (#6 above)… thank you so much, Holly!

Self Portrait with Natalie

New Blog, and Why “Snowball Journals?”

• Some more astute readers may have noticed a little link to the right of this post that says “daily paintings blog.“
• And you are saying to yourselves, “RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT, Carla!”
• Especially after the 10 Things project, which was a total and complete, humiliating failure.
• (I’m not even going to provide a link, I’m so embarrassed.)
• But this is different!!!
• Actually, it’s just a blog devoted to art for sale, which is not the intent of “Snowball Journals.”
• Some day I will tell you what I was thinking when I named it “Snowball Journals,” but not today.
• Well… okay.
• Snowball was my first cat. She was white with a grey spot on her forehead. I think we got her when I was four or five years old.
• Snowball was also the central character in my first nightmare.
• In the dream she was meowing and purring, rubbing up against my legs, etc. So I picked her up, and she suddenly started attacking my face with her teeth and claws.
• In recent years I’ve begun to understand who Snowball represented in the dream, etc., and I thought it would be useful to explore it in an art project called “Snowball Journals.”
• Instead, on a whim, I used the name for this blog.
• And I’m glad I did, because I’ve found I haven’t needed to pursue the original project. This “Snowball Journals” is doing the job of “processing”, but in a more positive way, I think (hope).
• Thank you for reading my blog!!!

Wrapped

The above “wrapped creature” is one of many I’m working on the last few weeks — a commission for Carol Parks.

“I suck” is a horrible thing to say.

One of my favorite parts of each day is driving Wes to school. The brief conversations we have (school is only a mile away!) always change me. This morning:

• Wes: “‘I suck’ is a horrible thing to say. Because if you say ‘I suck,’ you can’t bounce it.”
• Me: “What do you mean, ‘bounce it’?”
• Wes: “Well, if someone says, “You suck”, you can bounce it off. But if you say “I suck,” you can’t bounce it off. Then it becomes a swirling bottomless pit.”

1994 Sketchbook

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• I took my first “real” drawing class when I was 30, and the teacher encouraged us to keep a sketchbook.
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• I got into the habit, when on trains or in church or in restaurants, to draw the people around me.
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• At a restaurant one Saturday night (prom night for this young lady):
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• And at work…
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• I encourage you to try this! Just use a ballpoint pen and some blank paper (don’t use a pencil, or you will be tempted to erase, losing the moment). No pressure. Just draw fairly quickly, and try capture some of the personalities around you.
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• It’s fun!