If IKEA were hiring artists...

I have always loved art class growing up. My dad is a great painter as was my first roommate in LA, Heather (who is, by the way, one of the very first new old biddies as she couldn't leave her house without her "pock-a-book" which is 'biddy' for 'purse') . It was Heather who got me hooked on trying my hand at painting on canvas which just felt so daunting. (You know, kind of like dating. You want to do it, you psych yourself up to do it, but when you try it, you usually run away screaming and swearing to God that you'll never be that stupid again.)

I used to paint ALL the time in my 20's. But in my 30's I got really busy with work/career, got married, started performing regularly, got divorced and all that really took a lot of time and emotional energy. I stopped painting. I just couldn't focus on it, life was too cluttered with other things. And I missed it every day.

SO yesterday, I decided: TODAY IS THE DAY. So I set up my art studio in my kitchen (since God knows I don't use it to cook--unless making toast is cooking--I may as well be artistic in there).

Yes, that's my 'tea station' amidst all the paints. And yes, my kitchen is pink! WOOO! I'm a single girl in a pink paradise! (That sounds dirty...?)

So here's my first success of yesterday:

I'd painted the one on the left in 2001. I'd sketched out the flower on the right (which seriously, paging Georgia O'Keeffe anyone?) but never got to it. So yesterday, I finally got to it. 8 years later is better than never, right?

Then, jazzed from not totally sucking at this after years and years of inactivity (that's what she said!), I pulled out two canvases and created this series:

They match my bedding, so I'm happy - free art! And in this economy, I couldn't ask for more cuz this biddy is on a budget, yo.

And just for giggles, here are some of my paintings from YEARS ago that I have hanging in my apartment:

Inspired by Van Gogh:

Another series I did that was inspired by using only sponges...

And last, ironically enough, here's the first painting I ever did, and it's still one of my faves of all time:

Don't get me wrong - I know I'm no Picasso or Warhol. I'm just a girl in the valley who has a lot of paint and (currently) a lot of time and a lot of canvases that need to be colorized. I have a really huge canvas that I may tackle next as I'm feeling saucy and confident. Oh, and did I mention that I have a lot of time on my hands??