Saturday, September 26, 2015

Another lake house


This is actually the lake house that I know best - but the last time I saw this house (Lake Pelican, Minnesota?) was twenty five years ago, so this house might be inaccurate. It was my mother's cousin Gloria's cabin and I loved it. From the dog Macaroni to the Ramen Noodle Salad (which, for non-Minnesotans is a thing, right up there with Snickers Salad).

Any who, it's tippy. Someday, someday I will straighten up my art. Let's blame it on my lazy eye.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015


This was a piece I did maybe three years ago. It was an idea for a book (children's, obviously) I had then. This is a travel agent's office, a crazy office with tickets to crazy places, but you'd never be able to tell by the bland posters. And, it's set in the past. -Ish.

Inspired by a Facebook post by Camy Clough on Grandmother Gardens

Thinking of you, Camy.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

De Gournay inspired



I love, love, love De Gournay wallpaper panels. Love them. They are beautiful in one of my favorite ways - genteel and old fashioned, almost borderline fusty. But De Gournay wallpaper panels are also very, very dear. And so I tried my hand at it.

Other than my poor choice of paper and the wonky bird wing, I rather like the effect. I believe De Gournay panels are quite a bit larger than this, which is around 18 inches by 3 feet, but this size of work is already well outside my usual scale.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Friday, September 4, 2015

Thanks, internet rando


 

...for saying my art is not a "work of art," with the implication that it is thus somehow unworthy. Though I have had art classes, I am not a trained artist, which means that my work could be called "outsider art." It could be less charitably said that it's complete crap, even though my friends and family rave over it, as well as the people who have purchased my work. So after I was politely insulted, I thought about the work I produce. I thought about it a lot as I started this drawing and I realized that even if my work is crap, gol dang, I enjoy the act of creation. And I like what I make. So thanks, whoever you are. I know you set out to cut me down for your own reasons, but I produce tangible work that brings me joy. This room is based off a twenty year old memory of a room in my Great Aunt Tootie and Great Uncle Bjarne Stengl's house. I believe the room actually had a television set instead of a record player, and while Aunt Tootie was a live wire, she would never have had such disparate furnishings.