Love Art Gallery 2nd Anniversary Celebration!

On June 4 ~ my family and I enjoyed the 2nd Anniversary Celebration at the sunny Love Art! Gallery in Sellwood, Oregon.

Patti Isaacs demonstrated her Iris Paper Folding techniques for my boys ~ it was inspiring!
(I have a blog post featuring Patti and samples of her work)

Barbara Paanakker was on hand, painting and offering her intriguing paintings.
(I have a blog post featuring Barbara and samples of her work)

Live music inspired my littlest one ~ as he watched and imitated the guitarist.

Shawna Hovey was working on her lovely glass pieces, and modeled her handmade (self-made) necklace.
(I have a blog post featuring Shawna and samples of her work)

My little boys were so excited about throwing pots on the wheel with potter, Jim Wylder, he was amazingly patient and kind with the children.







I am ever so grateful to be a part of the Love Art family.

If you are in the Portland/Vancouver/Sellwood area, I hope you will stop in: www.loveartgallery.net

Learn more on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LoveArtGallery

Love & Sincerely, Katie

Free Cards Friday ~ Featured Artist Barbara Paanakker

Not only do I love the work of fellow local artist, Barbara Paanakker (and her fun personality), but we both are represented by Love Art! Gallery and I have one of her lovely pieces hanging in my hallway, just outside my studio ~ we caught up last week at the gallery.

Barbara & I at Love Art! Gallery, Portland Oregon ~ First Friday, April 1, 2011

with Barbara's paintings on the wall in the background

above: Full Moon, by Barbara Paanakker, a sold piece

Barbara's Words

Painting is a passion for me. The world around us is very colorful and bright if you look in the right direction. After always doodling around with colored pencils and markers as a kid, I started painting 10 years ago. A private teacher taught me how to put my everlasting inspirational ideas on canvas. Life has been good ever since. All my paintings happen in the process of painting, therefore they all are very different and unique, one of a kind! If you own one of my paintings you know that the passion is in the painting and it will make your live more colorful. Enjoy!

above: Love, by Barbara Paanakker, currently hanging at Love Art! Gallery in Portland, Oregon

above: Morning Dreams, by Barbara Paanakker

Barbara likes to create her frequently abstract paintings on smooth wood panels or canvas ~ often including everyday found objects such as metal washers and things she finds while out walking or jogging.

I love the rich texture and deep tones in Barbara's work ~ the intricacies and the free-flowing compositions. She shared with me that often her pieces may mean one thing to one person, then something completely different to another ~ depending upon what the viewer "sees" within the shapes and colors.

Her pieces are finished with a rich glossy varnish, giving them an almost glass-like look and feel. The beautiful painting hanging in my home, Elephant Exhibit, has started a lot of interesting conversations, and I delight in it's richness and smoothness.

Thank you Barbara, for doing the lovely and inspirational work that you do!

It's Free Cards Friday ~ Add your note or insight to this blog post (here at the blog or on the Facebook page) throughout the weekend and be in the running to win some cards ~ I'll choose the winner on Monday.

Have a creative and sunny weekend, Love & Sincerely, Katie

Things To Love ~ besides the little ones & the hubby

Recently, I'm being kind to myself. Really. Maybe I should have been doing these things all along.

1) I'm reading. Even if it is just a few minutes a day ~ I'm doing it. I have two busy boys, a lot of laundry, a compulsive impulse to have a tidy and germ-free house, a full-time (pretty much) home business which includes a lot of painting and such, and the tactics of a saboteur (sabotaging myself in relation to goals and sleep). But when I realized that I had put away this inch-and-a-half book in less than 2 weeks I was inspired.

Broken For You, by Stephanie Kallos ~ really good. And clearly I have time to read, right?

Tonite I started: Life's Work, Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom, by Lisa Belkin

2) I'm browsing for art I like. I always said that when I had a house I loved, I wanted to decorate it with art that I loved, and art from my artist friends. I'm doing so (because I finally love my house).

Barbara Paanakker's Elephant Exhibit hangs proudly in my hallway ~ the morning light graces it and reveals the beautiful textures.









I await this beautiful print (left) from artist Susana Tavares which I will proudly hang. Susana lives in Portugal. ©SusanaTavares.etsy.com

3) I'm taking time to watch a bit of television. Hulu, to be precise. My actual television treats me to MarioKart with my little ones, but that is all, besides the occasional movie on the couch with the hubby. We like Hulu; no commercials, pick and choose ;) Parenthood, The Office & Modern Family are the ones I like.

4) I'm cooking healthful meals. Get that: I'm Cooking! Yes! When you eat healthy you have energy ~ and said energy can then be recycled into cooking more healthy meals! It seems so simple. But it certainly is not. We do our best. I love smoothies packed with spinach, apples, lots of bananas, orange juice, vitamin c, frozen blueberries and strawberries and I just started adding Goldenseal to help us stay healthy during flu season.

5) I'm buying more unhealthy (but not too unhealthy) treats, too. Freddies Nutrition Center ~ thank you for offering snacks that allow me to be a bit bad, but still good.

6) I'm talking to people I love. Not all of them, just yet, but as many as I can. Skype and the telephone ~ don't forget the value of a smile and the time to listen ~ they remind our loved ones that we care about them. When it comes to those I love, I think about a quote I read years ago (something like) "the tears cried at a grave are tears of regret"... I don't want those tears. Other kinds, yes, but not the regret ones.

7) I'm talking to people I don't know. Lots of them. It is so very fun. I give my smile, kindness and greeting to so many strangers now (that is a tricky subject with my little ones, so I best not get into it with them since I have been promoting Stranger Danger since they were tiny). Well, except that guy on the phone at my hosting company the other day ~ he didn't get my kindness, he got my grumpy attitude and my urge to stand up for myself and not take any crap from anyone. I really should have apologized before we hung up, but I forgot. Sorry man, I know it wasn't your fault.

8) I'm taking breaks from email and computer ~ realize that we sometimes get locked in to feeling our worth based on how many emails/etsy sales/facebook posts & friend requests we get? I'm not turning the computer on in the a.m. until my big boy is at school and my little one and I have had our walk together, it is working for me (of course there are exceptions to this!). Need me before 10:30am? Call me. And, if you are wondering, I am using the wonderful invention of scheduled-publishing, so blog posts can appear in the a.m. while I'm off galavanting.

9) I'm cutting myself slack - in cleaning and work. I'm going to bed with toys on the floor and unfolded laundry (even the wet stuff). I don't stress as much about baths and spots on the floor.

So, this is a start. Life is short. I recently read somewhere, someone said (something like) "when I think about the fact that I will someday be dead, it helps me to..." fill in the blank. Prioritize? Cut some junk from the to-do list? Stress the small stuff a little bit less? Whatever works for you.

So, now, clearly I'm sabotaging, because it is far too late for a mama of 2 early-risers to be tapping away.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Do something nice for yourself, maybe?

Love & Sincerely, Katie