stuff about artstuff.

They Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

I recently discovered something wonderful.  Ok, I didn't actually discover it myself, I stumbled on a link on Pioneer Woman's cooking blog.  But I am in love with it.  A website that combines 2 of my favorite things in the world:

They Draw and Cook.

For decades I've been fantasizing about creating a fun illustrated cookbook.  Or four.  Or seven.  But, like many creative fantasies, they've never made it past the sketch-and-outline-and-take-lots-of-notes stage. 

Yet. 

Some of you might not know that in my life before Art Licensing, I cooked, managed kitchens, and catered; discovering and inventing new recipes has always been a favorite hobby.

Although, admittedly, these days my foodie-ism doesn't often go far beyond becoming distracted with a project here in the studio, subconsciously opening the Interwebs and trawling Tastespotting until I find myself mysteriously teleported to the open refrigerator, where I stare blankly into the steamy brightness searching for a single item I can douse with BaconSalt and shove into my piehole before returning to the project from which I was originally distracted.

I used to cook for a living and dream of drawing.  I now draw for a living and dream of cooking. Why not combine the two? Duh.

This website is just way too fun and I have developed a serious internet-crush on it.  And one of these days, I will have to force myself back beyond the single-item-with-BaconSalt creative rut and make some real food, and art, to submit myself.  Once again, I will keep you posted.

In the mean time, go check it out and enjoy the fun illustrations and cool recipes that are on there now!

Bon appetit!

When Divine Intervention is Necessary.

Sometimes, it's the only thing that's going to work.  You ever have weeks like that?

Beadaliciousness.

This weekend I got to spend a wonderful afternoon with my good friend Elizabeth, and explore an amazing place I'd never been before: Shipwreck Beads.  All I can say is wow.

Imagine the size of a sprawling suburban supermarket. Now imagine that every aisle and every wall in that supermarket are filled with beads.  Only beads.  Well, throw in a little chain and wire and fasten-y things and a few tools, but other than that, only beads.  My inner crow nearly exploded from the shimmery sparkliness.
Walls of beads.

No, really - stand back and look at the wall of beads.  Floor to ceiling.
Fancy stone beads, silly plastic beads, and everything in between.  From keep-in-a-locked-glass-case beads to throw-at-Mardi-Gras beads.  Oh my.
Hung in strands and organized into tiny drawers.
Everything you could ever dream of.  I mean, if you dreamed of beads.

You push around a large flat cart full of old-fashioned school-lunch trays to organize all your tiny pieces.  Oh, the tiny pieces.
You need a couple hours to deal with the mesmirising overwhelmity of it all.  We took that time, wandered, played, imagined, and did some serious shopping. 

I learned that you overhear some of the most amusing conversations in a giant bead store.  Cute things kids say, funny things creative partners discuss - really the audio entertainment almost rivals the visual feast at times.

A surprising number of those conversations included something to the effect of, "well, yes, Michaels does have those too, but they are cheaper here." which was sort of dangerous, because every time my brain processed the words "cheaper here" spoken by a stranger in my vicinity, my unconscious bargain reflex would cause my hand to spontaneously grab something off a shelf and throw it onto my cart.  The result was - um - maybe buying a tiny bit more than anticipated (she muttered sheepishly).
The afternoon with a good friend was way overdue, and the creative excitement from the sparkly goodness - it all left me smiling all the way through to my core.  Good stuff.
Um, guess what colors I like?

I plan on spending some quality time with these goodies when I go on vacation in a few weeks.  I'll keep you posted!

Goodies and Snacks

Well, goodies of the greeting card variety.

Once again, you'll find a few of my card designs just around the corner from your Two Buck Chuck! This season I've got 4 in the mix:
There's a birthday card, a friendship card, a get-well card, and a blank one.  All printed with soy-based inks on a nice heavily-textured recycled stock.  It looks a lot like the watercolor paper I like to paint on, so it's a perfect fit! They really do sell nice quality cards for a great value, not unlike the rest of the yummy products the store is so famous for.
Like my favorite super-addictive crunchy salty snacky roasted seaweed, mmm.  Salty and crunchy has always been my weakness, and this stuff - wow.  Seriously just as satisfying as a big old fatty bag of greasy chips.  I would not lie to you about something as serious as salty snacks.  This funny looking green stuff satisfies.  Oh yeah.
Anyway, I strongly suggest you pick some up.  Oh, and some cards, too, while they last!