This morning I read an article in The New York Times about a hundred-and-one year old lady who started painting when she was sixty years old using a paint-by-numbers set her husband gave her. Coincidentally, a couple hours later when I was on the computer, I came across Something’s Hiding in Here’s new work, states, that uses old paint-by-numbers sets. And from some random googling because I was looking for a completely unrelated reference image, I came upon an old post at Drawn, about a paint-by-numbers charity auction at the Corey Helford Gallery (click on past shows, “Charity by Numbers”). Oooh. Very nice.

even when they’re almost thirty. And of course he paints it blue.

Oh and check out Shawn’s new apron. We like! Made from a real vintage flour sack, you can get your own one here.

Brilliant Blue Sky. 9″ x 12″, acrylic on canvas, March 2008.

I wanted a particular shade of blue and I just couldn’t seem to get it, no matter how I tried mixing my colors. So I had to cheat a bit and got myself a tube of brilliant blue.

Now, twiddling my fingers and looking for something to paint next.

Middle of America, 8″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas, February 2008.

I’m still here! While Shawn has been typing up his thoughts on the things that he’s come across, I’ve been painting (again, finally, after another several-month-long hiatus). Hurray!

P.S. My scanner (I use one of those Epson all-in-one printer/scanner thingies) always over-interprets the colors of my paintings when I scan them in, so the colors come out really far off from the original picture. Any recommendations for a good scanner that captures colors accurately?

A new addition and current favorite in my ever-growing collection of miscellany (that I’ve started painting), a set of cards with perforated pieces which can be put together to make a pair of standing reindeer, santa’s sled, a snowman and a christmas tree.

Downstairs. 8″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas, November 2007.

I started working on this over the weekend and just finished it this morning. It’s a view of the street that I see from our living room window.

With two big boxfuls of journals wrapped up and heading over to new retailers (one across the border up north, and one over to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean ~ more details when they arrive and they’re up on the shelves), I’m taking a break from journals today ~ it’ll be quiet happy Wednesday of drawing and writing.

There’s something so fun about getting bundled up and trekking to the upper east side (switching subways, walking briskly alongside tourists and afternoon strollers) on a cold and sunny saturday to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With no particular exhibit to see, we wandered through the huge rooms, from one gallery to the next, looking, sketching, musing over whatever caught our eye.

Shawn (a page from his sketchbook below, left) came upon a painting called “Lady with her Pets”, and he’s become fascinated with the painter and the history behind it, while I spent quite a bit of time drawing sculptures.

And with camera in hand ~ I turned off the flash of course, I took a few pictures of my favorites (above): Winslow Homer’s Eagle Head, Manchester, Massachusetts (High Tide), …. by Vuillard’s Interior With Figure Sewing, and an early painting by Monet, Landscape Near Zanndam.

It was time for dinner when we left the museum, and we’d only explored a tiny fraction of it’s many exhibits. I’m looking forward to many more visits on wintery weekends, drawing, musing, and having afternoon tea beside Central Park.

At Uminoie. 8″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas, October 2007.

We watched the season premiere of PBS’ Art 21 the other night, and even though I didn’t understand half of the pieces that the artists made, I was so amazed at what they did. And I spent the better half of yesterday afternoon looking at each and every drawing and painting on Loren Long’s website, wishing I’d seen children’s book illustrations that looked like that when I was little. And in case you’re wondering, yes, we’re still making journals over here!

Main Street, 8″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas, October 2007.

This was supposed to be a scene of rooftops on a sunny day. But I think the rainy cold weather outside makes shades of gray seem the most alluring color in my paint palette today. Hopefully there’ll be some sunlit paintings next week.

Elsewhere: since I like looking at buildings and houses (which is pretty obvious from my journal covers and paintings) I was ecstatic when I came across Amy Casey’s website with her sci-fi carnivalesque paintings of houses, via notcot, and these little wooden houses that Lena Corwin made.