Birdwoman

Finished!
It was very hot here yesterday–94 degrees in Boston!  In April!  And our green, green little neighborhood was buzzing and teeming with life.  When I sat down to resolve this little diptych, that same tickly summer feeling crept into the piece.  Even without warm greens and golds. Pardon this awful photo.  I was rushing.  See a bigger, better image here.

I'm gearing up for Newton Open Studios, which is on May 16th and 17th.  This is my first year participating, and I will be stationed, along with about 17 other artists, at the New Art Center. Here's a link to all of us.  I already have a lot of work for it, but I like to invent deadlines for myself whenever I can.  (It helps with self-discipline.)  So I have a number of new little pieces I'm planning to complete beforehand.  Granted, I have yet to actually start three out of four of them, but I like to dream big.

My mom is teaching me to use the sewing machine.
This was a skill that I was supposed to have learned in my seventh grade home economics class.  But I was too busy peering out through my giant, red-framed glasses at a particular boy to successfully master any sort of domestic skill whatsoever.  I remember that we made tote bags, but I accidentally sewed mine closed.  In the cooking portion of the class my group received a C- on cleanup.  And all we made that day was cinnamon toast.  Eighteen years (and far fewer raging hormones) later, I find that sewing on the machine is actually really easy.  And a great excuse to hang out and get crafty with my mom. ;) 

The cover illustrations of The Economist are often brilliant and technically accomplished, but I think they've reached a new high with this one: