Meet Chilly - Our Newest Family Member

Meet Chilly! She is 8 weeks old and the sweetest little baby ever! We went to visit my mother in law, Cathy last weekend and came home with Chilly, because we are suckers! She got her name because she was trembling in the breeze after we first got her, I said maybe she's a little chilly and Ben said that should be her name. It just kind of stuck after that.

This is Chilly taking a little cat nap between pouncing on everything.

That's Cooper (he's two years old) behind Ben, hiding from Chilly. Yes, I said hiding. He's 120lbs of one big fat chicken! He is actually warming up to her now which makes me a nervous wreck because I am afraid he is going to squish her.

Isn't she sweet?

I introduced you to Missy three years ago and since I am talking about my furbabies, I thought I would include her too. She is my studio mate. Don't you just love her beautiful green eyes? She loves to be cuddled and pet while I am thinking on a painting. I love that she comes to hang out with me in the studio. She is still hissing at Chilly, but I think they will eventually get along alright. We have been taking it slow so they don't freak out.

Aww, I just read that old post about Missy and that is when we still had Wiley. He was the best dog in the world and we still miss him so much.

So there they are, our furry family members. Life is better because of them. How many fur babies do you have lighting up your life?

Even If We Can't See Them

There is something so natural and enjoyable about creating fantasy-scapes. I think the fact that they come from my imagination, dreams and memories is what makes them so easy to connect with. It makes me so happy that one person who saw this painting asked me if it is a Japanese landscape, another person asked me if I am from the Southwest, another person thought it was a city. There is no right answer and that is the fun part. I like the idea that my paintings are un-predictable but easily approachable.

Even If We Can't See Them 32"x48"

For me, this painting is a combination of city and landscape with stars in the sky. I used more metal flakes and little tiny circles with irridescent paint on just the circles. These circles are very subtle, almost to the point that you cannot see them at all. That is why I titled this painting, "Even if You Can't See Them". When I look up at the bright blue sky in the middle of the day, I always think about how the stars are out there, even if we can't see them. It's such a re-assuring thought. They are always there, whether we think of them, or see them. I love this magical metaphor for all the tuly important things in life we cannot see but we know are there. Love, friendship, spirituality, good energy, bad energy. It makes me laugh at the "proof" I thought I needed when I was younger.

Thank goodness I can paint! I think I would go crazy having these thoughts with no where to put them.