Night Fall with Snow Fall

This is my front porch at 10:00 o'clock last night. I had to push the door open against the snow piled in front of it to take this photo. (I forgot to adjust the camera, the night and the snow were not this yellow!) Somewhere there are steps winding down to the street. Maybe by spring I will find them. The snow is almost to the top of the porch railing!

I would complain, but aside from the hassle factor, it is a beautiful sight.

CULINARY CUTIE - Baker Babe

50's Fashionista - Laundry

Today is laundry day. But I am not going to do my laundry, I'm going to my studio to paint. Who needs clean clothes to paint?
P.S. This glamor girl, along with more just like her, is available as a print in my Etsy shop, so if you have a moment, check it out! www.graphitegirl.etsy.com

Illustration Friday - "Surrender"

DETAIL

Sometimes it's best to just surrender to love. From my Modern Aphrodite series....

Back from Vacation

It's a new year, and I'm running to catch up already! It's great to take a vacation as I just did, but coming back to reality is a challenge.

Happy Holidays

Gift Wrap Angel

Sometimes wrapping the present is more fun than purchasing it.

Here Come the Holidays

Time to start baking shopping writing cards buying travel tickets cleaning - WHOAAAAAA! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Let's just have a few homemade cookies first.

Bunny Skater

This talented bunny was part of a fabric design I illustrated for cozy flannel pajamas.

Illustration Friday - "Savour"

A moment to savour - the luxury of an outdoor lunch while reading a book and having the waiter bring me a piece of chocolate cake for dessert - YES!

Winter Arrives

Our beautiful Indian Summer is SO OVER! These photos are from last weekend, when we had eleven inches of snow dumped on us. Yesterday was the coldest Thanksgiving Day in 25 years, with the day starting out at a nippy 2 degrees. Let me remind you, that is 30 degrees below the point of freezing. Time to dust off the skis and brew up some hot chocolate!

Art Attack!

Yes, another year has passed, and once again it is Fall. This means that "Art Attack" is about to begin in the historic Northrup King Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, home of my studio, as well as the studios of nearly 175 other artists. Our doors are open, are creations are displayed, c'mon down!

The hours are:

Friday, November 5th - 5 pm to 10 pm
Saturday, November 6th - Noon to 8 pm
Sunday, November 7th - Noon to 5 pm

For more information about the event, check out the building's website.

Hope to see you!

Rompers for Cuties

One of the fun projects I participated in years ago was illustrating rompers for little tykes. Cuuuuuute!

Skipping Stones

This little vignette is from my designing-for-Sleepyheads days. This illustration was one of about ten retro scenes that made up an overall scatter design that was printed on fabric and then made into pajamas. There were a variety of themes - puppies, the fair, camping, and in this instance, vacation time. It was so much fun to wear my art! Although the company was sold and I am no longer designing for them (boohoo), you can still see lots of great pajamas and lounging accessories at Sleepyheads.com.

Illustration Friday - "Transportation"

The nippy winds of fall are here, yet I can't face it. I'm in denial. Instead of looking for my sweaters and getting the furnace checked, I'd rather be wearing a sundress and biking to the flower market. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

Backyard Discoveries

Look what I found in the shady part of my backyard. Huge mushrooms! No, the pear was not sprouting, too, I set it there for comparison purposes, so you could see how big those umbrellas are!

And the dahlias. What can I say. They are always the regal show-offs of the garden, lasting until the frost comes.

Stepping away from my drawing board and computer for a moment to see the little wonders of nature does wonders for my nature!

Peacock Trivia

A male Peacock is known as a Peacock. A female Peacock is known as a Peahen. A baby Peacock is known as a Peachick. A group of Peacocks is known as a party. So I guess this means when you want to celebrate, don't throw a party, throw a Peacock.

Just thought you should know these facts.

Illustration Friday - "Proverb"

Just yesterday I came across a Chinese proverb that I liked: "You often find your destiny on the path you take to avoid it". Sometimes I worry so much that my dinner party will be a disaster that it becomes one!

Labor Day, Almost

The State Fair is the official reminder that summer is ending and we are headed into our long dark frigid winter BOO HOOOOOO. So the State Fair is our last chance to celebrate summer and enjoy our fellow Minnesotans and all the fun and food the Fair provides. This year I really had a hankering to undergo the rituals and trials of the Fair. It's always insanely hot and humid, in the 90's, with the paramedics routinely reviving people who have passed out from heat stroke. And it's always insanely crowded with merrymakers who don't give a second thought about heat stroke!

The first photo is our arrival view, and the last is the departure: a sea of people. There is an unspoken rivalry amongst the vendors as to who can produce the most unhealthy (but delicious) food, and kudos if it is on a stick or deep-fried or both.(alligator-on-a-stick, deep-fried bologna and corn dog pizzas for example)

This year the heat was so intense that we didn't even make it to the animal barns or the Midway. The Horticulture Building was fun (did you know that a stalk of corn only produces one ear? Think how much land is needed to produce corn!) Of course we went to the Dairy Building to watch the sweet State Fair Princess having her portrait sculpted out of butter in a refrigerated "studio". Her attendants also will have their likenesses carved. After the Fair ends, they can take their heads home. What a lovely addition to a future brunch, the hostess's head carved in butter next to the croissants and jelly!

Illustration Friday - "Atmosphere"

I'm not sure exactly how this image fits into Illustration Friday theme of "Atmosphere", but somehow, I just know it does, and I get the giggles thinking about it!

(Originally, this vignette was one of 8 other little retro scenes I created for a fabric design, with "camping" being the concept)