Breathing out my world through brushstrokes...

Tuesday - Bye bye March...

"Spring would not be spring without bird songs."
-  Francis M. Chapman

It's the last day of March and I think we're finally done with snow!

Updates!

Another one of my essays was just published in a wonderful online magazine Everyday Windshield - this writing is about my beautiful detour - check it out HERE!

A beautiful detour indeed...

 There are a few more essays of mine about to be published which I'm very excited for, which I'll let you know about when they come out...

More Art!

I've been painting by my window today!

I am so happy that all of my new pieces are finally getting to see the light of day!  Starting on April 9th, a bunch of my art will be featured at City Lights Gallery in Bridgeport, CT for their art show Forever YOUNG - which is actually a reflection on the good ol' Bob Dylan song.
I mean - I like Bob Dylan, but in my opinion, I think Brandi Carlile does a much better live rendition - which you can hear here:

Listen to Brandi's FOREVER YOUNG here!

On April 9th - Thursday of next week, there will be an opening reception for any of those in the area - both some old favorite and some never-before-seen art of mine will be shown - and it's the day before my birthday - so come if you're around!

Some of my work featured there...

Tree Thoughts - made in hospital

Singing Flower - made last week!

In the Studio...

So I've finally finished that epic 20 x 24 piece I was working on, now that I'm on a four seasons kick - and wait until you see everything else I have in the works....but here's just one at a time!

So, a while ago, I painted a fun background of the four seasons...

Summer on the left, into winter...

Followed by Autumn, and finally to Spring on the right.

I tried to give each background a different texture, complex layering and colors.

I added my usual drippy and paint-like things - I have a lot of random things poured into spray bottles that honestly, I'm even sure what they are anymore! But I love creating abstract backgrounds - I go into a total place of "no thought."

  Then after a bunch of smooshing around, wiping, banging, painting (yes, anything can be art, people!) and just having a bunch of fun, I ended up with this nifty background.

Tall grass for summer, I used spackle plaster for textured snow, a bed of leaves for Autumn, and beautiful rolling hills for Spring. Yay!

 Then, the fun really began, once Brandon took me to Lowe's - my new favorite hangout - to buy a ton of spackle of all different kinds - hard stuff, soft stuff, I don't know - whatever was there!

My DIY kinda guy <3

Or more specifically:

Man, that was hard to open!

 So using my fingers, I had some fun digging both fists into those giant tubs and just throwing globs of plaster onto the canvas.

 When I am painting, I crave the tactile sensations - feeling the plaster, waving around the canvas and banging it, stroking the hairs of my brush on the canvas - it really feels like an artful way of doing yoga.  I can feel the breath come into my body, breathing in the air around me, and breathing out acrylics and color.  Breathing out a world I don't even know I have within me until it evaporates onto my canvas.

So may we all breathe out worlds today.  Breathe in inspiration, and breathe out ourselves.

Maybe that is why I am so excited about my next project - I'll give you a little sneak peek:

oh the wonders at Home Goods!

OH but wait, sorry I didn't finish telling you about my project!  Too excited for my own good.  Anyway...

 
I started to paint in the trees - painting over the spackle is so fun - getting into every little groove and crevice - the little nooks in the dried plaster really instruct you how and where to paint, very little thought or intent involved!

So now the trunks are finished...

 Now onto the greenery!  I am trying to push myself to paint more and rely less on fabric and doodads, so I wanted to paint the leaves of the trees...

 Comin' along... (I was in the studio from 10am to 2pm today - yikes!)

And...DONE!!!

Okay, now how fun is that???

  I've got all my favorite tree-folks represented, and I really did try to add as little embellishments as possible.

A bee for Summer

A ball of snow for Winter

A changing leaf for Autumn

And a bird for Spring (plus my lil' flower gal)

And I only added two tears today - to the Spring scene.

The flower is catching Spring's tear.

I'm very proud of my work today -and so many more projects I've yet to finish!  I'll keep you updated...

 Guess what's coming up...
PASSOVER!  Yes, more fun Passover prep and fun to be had.
Here are some great and classic Passover recipes.

I lovel Tori Avey's blog, which centers around recipes inspired by our past.
She has a ridiculously cool recipe for Charoset Truffles!  What???

One more blog that I LOVE is Leite's Culinaria by David Leite - who basically writes on all things FOOD - can't complain abotu that, nor his massive compilation of delicious Matzoh Recipes

By the way, I had matzoh brei for breakfast

Mmmm....

There are some delicious matzoh brei variations, and I think the next one on my bucket list is Skillet Matzo Brei with Cinnamon, Apple, and Raisins, which I found from Elana Lyn's blog.

Passover is fun too!
Okay, you know Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, right?  Well, have you heard the Passover Rhapsody???
And I absolutely LOVE this - it's a parody for Passover - based on Uptown Funk!!!!

Oh, and the parody to end all parodies - how about for your seder?  You know West Side Story...How about having a West Side Seder?  This is hilarious - there are a ton of Passover Variations at Seders For You.

Passover Eye-Candy...

Beautiful Judaica celebrating Miriam's Role in the Exodus

Yet another amazing seder plate creation from amazing artist Gary Rosenthal!

So everyone, just

Time to go...

In the coming week, I'll be posting what I really love most about Passover, which is all the delicious insight and inspiration, metaphors we can draw from this wonderful transitional new-beginning-esque holiday.  But my wish for you today, is that whatever you do - paint, cook, walk, breathe, LIVE - may you take it all in fully with each inhale, and with each exhale, breathe out a completely new world you never would have known is inside of you. 

Breathe out your potential today.  It might surprise you.

Inhale the world around you, and breathe out your own. - ME.

"O Day after day we can't help growing older.
Year after year spring can't help seeming younger.
Come let's enjoy our winecup today,
Nor pity the flowers fallen."
-  Wang Wei, On Parting with Spring