Silent Monday

This morning we took the preschoolers to The Festival of the Trees to see all the trees and to find the one they made. Each year many groups of people make, decorate and donate a tree to be auctioned as a benefit for The Shelter. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of our arts-based preschool program, our tree is very silvery and of course very glittery. Going there with the children and walking among the beautiful, creative and sometimes unusual trees always fills me with a bit of Christmas spirit.

Last night I read the article A Yuletide Gift of Kindness in Smithsonian magazine. It seems appropriate on a day like today when our email inboxes are infiltrated with specials and deals.

One, (jelly glass with cosmos), oil on canvas, framed 12 1/2 in. x 12 1/2 in.

The painting above will also be part of the Newness Show opening at Artstream this weekend, Dec. 3&4. I am happy to have nine of my new works on canvas in the show and still have a few more to share with you here.

before, during, after

This Thanksgiving was the first one that M. and I have shared together at our own home since we're usually on the road; (Friday we traveled to visit family). We used a toaster oven, a borrowed hotplate, and the grill to make mushroom risotto stuffed in delicata squash, fresh green beans, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin muffins. It all turned out quite tasty even without the egg that I somehow forgot to put into the muffin batter. Then for the table bouquet I gathered whatever could be found in the wintering garden and put them inside a Dad-made mug.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Tuesday

About light and water, (jelly glass with crabapple stem), oil on canvas, 6 1/2 in. x 6 1/2 in.

I don't know about you, but life has been a little on the stressful side around here lately and when I get stressed I really have to work on my attitude. So to combat the internal pity parties I'm trying to think, "Ok so how can we make this situation better?" And I'm finding even making little changes help; like dusting one shelf, or putting out new candles and a strand of twinkle lights (inspired by Rachel's), you know small stuff like that. These changes take little time and really help keep it all from piling up. However the one I'm really having to work on is how can we have Thanksgiving with no oven? My favorite dishes to make all require an oven. Even so, I think I'll try making mini pumpkin muffins in the toaster oven, because I just have to have those!

Above is another painting that will be at Artstream next week. This is one of my favorites of the bunch. :)

And did you see Gracia & Louise have new work in their shop?

Water Paper Paint Guest Artist Sneak Peek

For one of the chapters in Water Paper Paint I curated a Gallery section of contemporary artists who use watercolor in a variety of different ways. They lend such beauty to the book and I'm so grateful to them for sharing their work. Here's a glimpse at just one of the artists. Can you guess who painted this lovely piece? :)

Have a nice weekend!
H

New oil paintings

Two (generations), oil on canvas, 9 in. x 9 in.

(detail)

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing my new oil paintings from the "Vessels" series. These will be part of the Newness show at Artstream Studios in Rochester, NH, along with work from Lisa Solomon and Jen Garrido. The show opens Dec. 3 and the work will be available on their website.

Here's a list I began early in the week of a few current picks to see and read:

> Saw Winter's Bone.

> Reading new Anthology Magazine.

> Sweet Paul Magazine, Holiday Issue.
> Almost finished reading About Grace by Anthony Doerr.