You're the Girl in the Painting

Have you ever looked at a sixteenth century portrait of a queen and wished that you had the necklace that she was wearing? Ever been sorely disappointed when the museum gift shop didn't have an affordable knockoff? I totally have. I'm serious, I have!

This fall when I was visiting with my soul-sista Angela Henrie, we had an idea. We could collaborate and create a series of six or seven portraits wearing Angela's necklaces. Then have frames built that have a little drawer in them which holds the very necklace in the painting. I love the idea of interacting with the painting, like becoming the portrait when you wear the necklace.

When I got Angela's necklaces in the mail, I almost hyperventilated. They are so cool I want to keep every one. She has the nice balance of sophisticated and funky. They seriously make me weak! I haven't seen anything like them, and that's amazing in itself. I pretty much always wear one of her jewelry pieces. Right now my favorite is a bracelet that has "love is a battlefield" stamped into it. I sing it out and grin every morning when I put it on.

This set of paintings and necklaces will be on display one night only at Repartee Gallery in Fort Union (1110 East Fort Union BLVD,Midvale, UT) Saturday, February 12 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm I'll post the finished paintings soon along with the frames. If you are interested in any of the pieces and can't make it to the show, contact Allison Dawson at (801)352-2569 or allison@reparteegallery.com

Shared Space

Early this spring our bishop decided to turn his vacant lot into a neighborhood garden. He provided the water and plowing. Dan Barney helped plan out the plots and get things started. It's been one of my favorite things this summer. It not only has been an opportunity to plant so things we don't usually plant, like corn, because we don't have the space in our garden but it's also provided a space for friends and neighbors to work together. 
I'm proud to announce that I grew the biggest pumpkin again this year. Sadly there has been some sort of funky pumpkin killer disease running through our garden. I hope my juicy giant pumpkin makes it until fall. 
We grew a couple of fancy constellation watermelons. I wonder if I can chart the stars on my melon? In our section, I think egg plants are the prettiest thing in the  garden but tomatoes are the most plentiful.
I snapped this picture just as Dan was waving to a neighbor. That's pretty much what our community garden has been this summer, connection.

Oh what to do with all these tomatoes...

Between my sister-in-law, Jennie, and I, we grew lugs of tomatoes. I don't even know what a lug is but we had a lot of them.
It was great to spend the day with my sisters. 
And this winter when we eat spaghetti, it'll be the best spaghetti we've ever eaten. 

Re-post with Kate's poem

Your name is safe in my mouth--
your heart too, tendons twined around my tongue,
body cradled in the cage of my teeth.

I will lock you up tight, in the space above my throat
where even I
cannot get you.

Poem by Kate Horowitz

Last spring, Kate Horowitz and I collaborated on a show called, She Dreamed in Verse and Rhyme. We jumped at the chance to do it again, the first weekend in May of 2009 in Cannon Beach at Ernst and Ernst Collector's Gallery. So Kate came out to spend the best week ever with us to get started on our collaboration and play a little too.

Kate was only a little familiar with our Utah family culture and I'd venture to say that she got enough to last her a while. I'm happy to say that we got some work done, ideas are simmering. I think we are both excited to dive it and get to work.

Speaking of work...

Thanks to everybody who hacked through the crowds, jungles of sticky cotton candy and pop-its to come to our show on this very festive holiday weekend. I wish I had pictures of everybody. We got to see so many friends and that was the best. It's cool to see all of the people who support local venues. Thanks again to Mode for the excuse to spend time drawing and collaborating with Dan.

In six months I'm going to have lots of free time to pursue creative projects. I'm not the only one who thinks that right? It's an mirage that is floating out in front of me always. It's that six months into the future delusion that gets me into trouble as far as over scheduling. But like I read in Zen Shorts, "maybe..." because the outcome from being pushed is different than coasting along at a steady pace. When pushed emotionally or physically or spiritually or anything, sometimes great things happens. Sometimes we are liberated from invisible annoyances and silly hang-ups.
So here I am starting a project after much waffling. About six months ago I went into a store called Mode in Provo to see an art installation made by Jason Metcalf. The store owner, Ryan Neely asked if I was interested in having a show in that space, dangling the you can do whatever you want carrot in front of me. I said, " sure, in six months I'll have free time to pursue creative projects."
I do want to to support this exact sort of thing, my community, stores owned by local people who seem really nice and creative project opportunities, different from what I do for galleries.

But...instead of taking it on by myself, I asked Zack Taylor if he wanted to collaborate with me after I saw his Mormon Ex-Cons project. Then really I knew that it would all be spectacular if Dan Barney were participating and then of course I was excited to see what Zack's artist wife, Brenda would come up with so...after much discussion, we have begun our project. I think the title at this point is called, Night Music. I'm doing mostly drawings which I love. Dan Barney made three Tyvek dresses that I get to draw on as well.

Teen Kitten and Middle Kitten are away this week. My little sweethearts are camping up high in the snowy mountains. They took good gear but I still worry. "I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare” Maya Angelou

Maya has a point. I'm glad they dared to go. In the mean time my littlest kitten and I are spending just about every second together. We've collaborated on some artwork that is pretty nice. Actually, I think she's brilliant. She is a focused little artist. She draws from her imagination like most kids, but she also uses scrap. She picks up interesting detail, more sophisticated than any other kid in her age range I've ever seen. Ya, I'm bragging. We stretched muslin and are doing these delicate little drawings of 'earthly delights". Our earthly delights are not the same as the earthly delights of Hieronymus Bosch. I'll post more on that soon.

New video on youtube!

Episode 6, Discussing Collaboration with Kate is now available on youtube.
I'll be posting more about the Cannon Beach show on She Dreamed in Verse and Rhyme. My niece sometimes says, "that's magical." I'd say those words describe this weekend's show.

I am so excited to be collaborating with Kate. Her poetry is astounds me...again. Here are two of my latest favorites. I could paint a whole show using just these two poems. Thanks Kate.

Kate Horowitz

Three Seeds (Perspehone)

"Before you go," he said, "Eat these."
His palm was rough, black with soot,
and three rubies glittered there, perfect drops
of blood.

He would not meet my round eyes.
I assumed grief and accepted his gift; the hot winds
of deceit had never known my petaled face.

The earth opened above us,
and a golden arm came through
to draw me up.

I closed my mouth, bit down
and felt all my convictions
running down my throat.
I swallowed.



Melodramatic Moon
(Library Parking Lot, January Fifteenth)

"You're how full?" I asked.
"Half," she said, "Half, I am half-
full." She turned away.
Snowflakes blew toward her face and,
reaching her cheek,
disappeared against the expanse of white.