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April 2008

Thank you friends...

Well, the moms and babes, they came and went...

And we had a real groovy time!

I don't know what I was waiting for? It was so fun to have our friends over... I guessed I just always assumed that our little tree house was a one friend over at a time type of joint, turns out I was wrong--that is rare.

Ree and some good-time pals

Reeses_friends_come_to_play

They played really hard and then one by one, started to melt down.
This was the scene about one minute after everybody left...

Nappy_time


It's to bed in red for this sleepy head

Red_on_red

While he did that I did these... A sure sign of good-times.

A_sign_of_good_times

The Moms are coming...

Tomorrow, my moms group is coming to our house for breaky. We all met at the hospital's new moms group, shortly after our little ones were born... Our kids have known each other pretty much their whole lives. We all do different things together, as often as we can, ideally once a week... We have been over to almost all of the other moms houses, but none of the moms have ever been over here... Oh yeah, Junko, Iris and Chris did come over to watch Ree one night, while we had a date to see John Prine, but mainly what I am trying to say is that I have never hosted the moms and babes... And I am super excited to have all of these lovelies over to our home!!!!

I will be making the usual, what I make pretty much every morning for Ree and I... Scramby eggs with diced, and sauteed spinach and onions. Delish... so quick and simp... And it just delights me that (for now) my kid loves spinach!... Oh and I had to make more of those cookies! They were just too good!

I just love an oven window with a light--don't you? Peak a boo... I see you!
More_cookies_2


Well, I don't have crystal ball (you'd think being raised by gypsies, I most certainly would have one of those, but nope. Two broken teeth... an eighth grade education... but no crystal ball). The reason I mention my lack of a crystal ball is because I would love to show you pictures of all of the festivities to come, but I have not the technology nor the witchcraft ... So you have to wait for the recap.

Although it is pretty safe to say that I can give you a clear depiction of what is to follow our gathering... The forecast (surprise, surprise) calls for more rain... And that, we have plenty of stock footage of... How about, here is one from our trip to Cannon Beach two weekends ago.

Smile_coat

So this is what well be doing after the friend filled morning indoors. We'll gear up to get drenched (as you can see, this is a favorite activity) then we'll head home and take a nice hot bath.

Spring is singing our names...

Watering_can

In late March, when Easter happened (that still seems weird to me) the spring time sprites left little Ree a basket full of gardening tools and seed packets.

And I am pretty sure we are just about ready to put them all to good use?... No, we ARE ready, it is the weather we are waiting on.

The weather has been especially freaky here in the Northwest. Bright and sunny with the temperatures in the 70's, then near freezing and almost snowing. I have been weary of putting precious little seeds in the ground, as I fear they may not be able to handle this roller-coaster-weather-ride.

But Billy is going to go head and build our little one his very first garden bed this weekend--for when the weather shapes up.

Ree is getting a head start. He made a little start to put into the bed once the weather gets stable enough. He poked his tiny little finger in to the soil, then dropped his seed in (am not sure exactly what he planted) and pinched a bit of dirt over the top of it... Now, we just wait and see just who is in there. and just when we can get to planting.


Now for a little something sweeter

Cookie_plate

I was a little emotional today--I worked myself in to a bit of a frazzle with the state of things... As you may have read.

SOOO, I did what anyone would do in my situation... I made a big ol' batch of JoAnnie's (that's my mom... one of them) famous famous oatmeal chocolate chip COOKIES!!!... with double butter!

Aww, now all is right in the... My world.

A sleeping angel babe, a snuggy husband, two frosty mugs of whole milk and a huge plate of cookies...

Thank You

&

Goodnight

I am not Political-- just human...

Thank you Billy! You are a true grown up!
So I plopped those five different envelops into one official blue box today... All thanks to the adult in our partnership, my loving and more importantly (today) RESPONSIBLE husband, Billy!

I wipe my virtually spotless hands (because I literally didn't touch the things-- aside from dropping them in the box) clean of that gawd awful mess of papers they call taxes... I call it Blood money, that pays for three rich guy's oil war! I am not all that political but nor am I blind. I can't believe we, our family (lovers of PEACE) are contributing to this genocide!

IT MAKES ME SICK!

I am all for taxes...
That HELP OUR CITIZENS... that FEED OUR ECONOMY... That PROTECT OUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!

NOT THAT KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN!

Scream

So we paid our taxes today in money...
And guilt and shame and embarrassment and reluctance and resentment and fear and anger!

Knowing that (for now) it'll end up ill used.

I surly know it isn't going to pave the horrendous maze of potholes that lines our "unincorporated", "unimproved" dirt road... Or go to any sort of UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE to help with the fifteen thousand dollars it is going to cost to fix my teeth (which by the way, is as a direct result of growing up an all american welfare kid... Being seen at clinics by disheartened practitioners, with tied hands, authorized to do only the absolute bare minimum. As a child of unfortunate economic circumstance I was treated as a lower class of human, yet, given the the very best our country has to offer?)... Or to feed the countless number of homeless people, down the street from my studio, that line up around the block each day, at noon, to get their one meal a day (FROM A CHURCH--NOT UNCLE SAM mind you) It sure isn't going to aid in treating these people as our citizens, let alone as human beings! Or what about those solders (so many of them just boys, really) who fought for what they thought was helping their country, to find out that it was all just bullshit and that they were pretty much war slaves fighting a dirty, corrupt war to make rich men richer... Only to end up dead or ruined physically, mentally and emotionally... Oh and then abandon and forgotten by the very country they were fighting for...

SICK! SICK! SICK!

AND SAD...

I JUST GET SO SAD WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL OF US, OUR PEOPLE, SUFFERING, AND CAST AWAY... PEOPLE, KIDS IN OUR COUNTRY NOT BEING (IN THE VERY LEAST) FED!!!!... AND THE PEOPLE WORKING THIER ASSES OFF TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES TO PAY THEIR TAXES... AND HERE WE ARE... WHERE WE ARE... IN A POINTLESS WAR USEING OUR RESOURCES TO PAY FOR DESTRUCTION, CHAOS AND MURDER?????!!!!!!!

SAD, SAD, SAD

SO SAD!

Whatever we do people, whom ever the nominee may be, we have got to vote...

DEMOCRAT

in 2008

like I started out saying, I am not super political... and sometimes I am a bit insecure about using my voice because I don't know everything (I think I should)... But I know my feelings, and so I go with that... And just go ahead and use my little voice however shaky it may be. I think if we all did that--used our shaky little voices, then we will be heard.

Use_your_voice

USE THAT VOICE!

Gallery show!

I just wanted to share with you, that I got into a juried show, at the Cannon Beach Gallery, in Cannon Beach!
It is just one piece that I submitted, she is called "talk of the town"!

Here is a picture of my little coastal traveler.
Talk_of_the_town

I just noticed...

It appears that I paint my surroundings, this is an older painting but I thought it totally color matched the pic of the sombraro in my studio. It is like my friend Jennifer Mercede says, People totally look just like their art... I think that it's true. We were at Launch Pad Gallery for the First Friday opening, and she asked Sarah who the artist was, Sarah pointed him out, and Jennifer said, "Oh yeah that totally makes sense"... Then I looked over at him and Dude it did, He totally looked like his paintings!
You probably had to have been there to get the entire effect. But it was pretty uncanny. I must look like little red birds!

Red_birds


I am not sure who even reads these (except you Sally, Thanks)...

But I'll write them any how. Because I like having this little nook of the universe dedicated to my words and views and thing such as these... And to openly celebrate my life and my dreams and my struggles and my successes!

Speaking of little nooks...

I wrote a while back about my grungy art studio, the one where I had to step over questionable individuals to get into the bathroom... Well, since December I have been referring to a different studio, when doing so. And I will now tell you all about this new one!

It is quite lovely... Yes! Quite! The halls are white, white, WHITE--and if you know me, you know, I love white! The building is well lit with perfectly stained cement floors-- the exact right amount of rust, cracks, oxidation and spitter-splatter of paint specks. I have favorite areas of the floor on the way down to my studio, that I admire and look forward to greeting each time I arrive. It is in the Basement of a huge, dirty (but nicely restored) old building (over a hundred years old).

"Basement???", you say. Yes basement!... With 20 ft high ceilings and cool white washed exposed brick and beams... And a flood of natural light streaming over the tops of the three quarter built partial walls that separate the studios (as to allow for the sharing of the shining of the sun-- when it decides to do that).

The maintenance people are SOOO ON IT too! Telling US when stuff needs to be fixed... and asking, "when's a good time?" This is a big deal because at my old spot... Well... there was a hole intended for an "eventual skylight" that... Umm, was directly over my area and pretty much was just covered up with a piece of aluminum foil that would blow off every time a bird flew over head... So you can imagine my delight about the strong presents of a handy team in my new building.

I LOVE THIS SPACE!

It is tucked way in the back of the building and has two large weight & pulley doors between us and the rest of the studios It is like having a tiny, magic, secret corner of this big beautiful city!

It is full of art, laughter and music (recordings mind you, this little nook would be a lot deeper down in the earth if I were to be making any sort of music)... Oh, and christmas lights, lots of colorful bulbs dot and dashing, dancing a jig the perimeter of the joint!

Now you are probably thinking... Hmm? she just goes down in to her magic little corner and?... Laughs?... All by her self, she just sits down there in the music and warm glow of her twinkly lights and just laughs it up???

And the answer is yes... Sometimes that. But usually I am accompanied by my most magical and special studio-mate of the world... SARAH CRUSE! She and I are the absolute ingredients for Fun-Magic-Art-Love-and-Laughter Town Fest!!! We have so much fun and are so productive down there together! I was worried that having a friend as a matie would be all play and little work... But instead it is all play and ALL work! We are fabulous together!

I can't believe that this is my job! But it most certainly is, and I LOVE IT! When I am in the studio I feel amazingly free, and since I already went there, with the pouring it on of the magic talk I'll just throw it out there just one more time (or ten), full of magic! Time stands still, the need to eat (or the opposite) vanishes. I can spend eight hours in the blink of an eye painting, making... Loving--every minute of it! It is my haven, my sanctuary. It is my escape and my reality- I love that! Anyway... I guess I would pretty much be happy to make art anywhere, it is just that I get to make it in my most favorite spot to make it ever!

Wrapping it up here (before I just get too silly-love-struck on this place)... I am so fortunate to have a passion as a career, and this wondrous place to do it... And an awesome first mate!

Goodnight.

Love, Robin


I wish I had a better pic for you... Next time I am there I will take one for ya... Sally. I actually just cropped an old pic of the studio that I had already posted... What a cheater! but it was the only picy I had.
String_lights_sombraro


Wow, that last Picture?

It showed up pretty awful!... I guess You will just have to come and see that painting in all it's glory on Friday.

One last reminder

But first I am happy to say, I finished work for BOTH new shows three days ago and Ree is done with the latest teething bought ... What do you know? NO midnight whisper fights in three days! It is amazing what a fun bunch we can be when we don't have all the pressures... That is not to say that there shouldn't be deadlines for shows... or teething (we need art and teeth). All I am saying is that it is nice to be calm and breath once in awhile.

So a quick note about the opening again and then on to exciting news:

First Friday Opening:

Friday April 4th

Lille Boutique
(1007 E Burnside- one block east of Doug Fir on the opposite side of the st.)

6-9pm... With refreshies

Show title:

"Limbs & Leaves"


Your_colors_love

But if you miss it on Friday, it hangs the entire month of April

... Blah blah, blah... Reminder, Blah blah...

Ok, now that business is done, here is something really cool that happened today in regards to my art...

I was approached by two different curators-- both today! They each came up to me and said that they would love to show my work--at two different times... In two different locations. It was awesome, I am use to doing the asking.

The first one was at a coffee shop, down the street from my studio, which is also where his art studio happens to be. Same building, he is on the top floor I am on the bottom- random useless details, I know.

Anyway he said that he has seen my work around town (and many times in the back of my car --to and fro shows) He curates for 15 different Buildings in the down town Portland area!!!! And he wants to show MY WORK!!!!

Then... While I was hanging up my show at Redwing Cafe & Bakery... A woman (also a curator) saw me doing so and asked if she could exhibit some of my work sometime we exchanged info (the old fashion way--we wrote in down on little pieces of paper-- because we were both out of cards) and that was that!

I am so super excited about the magic out today... I wonder if it was brought on by all of this beautiful sun shine?!!