freshly minted

Introducing: the Both Sides, Now book

Joni Mitchell lyrics often pop unbidden into my head during our long months of rain and clouds here in the Pacific Northwest.

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now

from up and down, and still somehow

it's cloud illusions I recall

I really don't know clouds at all"

A long concertina book, she measures about 7" x 10" when closed, but can be opened and drawn or written on continuously for a little over 14 feet. And that's if you were to only use one side of the paper. Go ahead and use both sides.

Available now in the shoppe.

people who do it all

I am not one of them. They must get up at like 4 in the morning or something.

In fact, I feel like I'm constantly running to catch up. This weekend, I finally put away my camping gear from my desert trip nearly a month ago. I folded acres of laundry that surely didn't need to all be left for weeks. I had a mini-breakdown when I looked at my to-do list and all of the things as of yet un-checked-off. I'm sure most of us feel that way.

Also in fact, I find my time sitting on the deck in the morning when the light is just beginning to peak over the roofs, sketchbook in hand, freezing a little but bundled under three blankets, two hoodies and a hat, to be more important time spent than all of the bustle, the running around, the meetings, emails, and obligations.

I'm feeling inspired lately. There are toasty, tasty things popping off the press. I've been drawing, doodling, tap dancing (not really) and finding that ideas for fun little things to make and sell for the holidays (around the corner and I'm always behind the curve...) are alight in my mind at all times of the day and night. I will show you soon.

In the meantime - the Monkey found this little guy in our backyard the other day. I did a little research and I believe he's a Western Tiger Swallowtail, or will be one day if all goes well.

daily drawing

Obviously I don't post a drawing every day. But the other day I was talking with a friend about our daily practices as artists, and I began to think I should share some of my sketchbook more often.


I love looking at other artist's sketchbook pages. Sometimes the drawings develop into part of something larger, sometimes they are just random doodles.

Yesterday I had a thing for shoes and a page from an old Sears catalogue.