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I KNOW THAT I FELL OFF OF THE EARTH + MARCH 9, 2011

OK OK OK so I fell off of the Earth and completely disappeared, but here I am and its time for a BBQ and for Willies!
So here... I will make it all up to you! See you then!

EVERYTHING TAKES FOREVER + DECEMBER 13, 2010

And so here is what happened after I posted the last time on the sixth, as I had of course intended to email everyone immediately afterwards and say hey please do come back and stay in touch and don't forget about me...
I took a break to watch the local news just in time for them to tell me about a two week flu-like virus that's going around and I thought AHA! and I crawled into bed for a nap. When I awoke a mere fourteen hours later I made a conscious decision to stop pushing myself so hard for at least a little while.

But that was days ago now. And if I'm known for anything it's for a blatant lack of self control and the beautiful road to Hell that I have myself paved on myriad broken promises. So here we go again.

With only minutes to go on the tour I met a fabulous gentleman, Mr Mark Lee, who later wrote a fabulous bit about the tour and my house, which you can read here. He was an absolute pleasure.
He additionally enjoyed my 'Mexican Scientist' piece so much that he took some artistic liberties of his own.

Also met a very cool friend of a friend, Robby, who makes crazy digital collages that we think may transfer really well onto canvas. I hope to begin some fun collaborative work with him after these darn looming holidays. Perhaps y'all can look forward to very interesting and futuristic paintings.
He also has a really great idea about an exciting community art project that could possibly connect hundreds of artists, businesses, collectors.
Hurrah for new art genius friend.

I am happy to say that all works that have been commissioned from me are well under way and I do hope to have delivery at the very very very beginning of the New Year.
I am also making some effort towards the planning of the '50 Willie' party on March 12th and have had more than one person tell me that I should invite Willie Nelson himself to the house for the BBQ. And sure, I think that's a great idea too so please send me Willie's mailing address when one of y'all get a chance, OK?!
I wouldn't even have a clue how to get that done. You do it. You're my subcontractor.

these are not women that I know

And yes, there is no denying that the holidays are almost here and I am preparing myself for a very early flight next Monday to Charleston. I expect to be mistreated and mishandled. I expect to sit next to people who smell funny and/or are too big for their seat. I expect to pay at least ten dollars for a sandwich in Atlanta when I change planes.

The holidays always carry an air of abuse and I am swamped with ornaments to make and stockings to finish. How in the world do all of those little elves knock so much work out in December? I'm just exhausted and everything takes forever.

ornaments in progress/ornament pieces

I was recently delivered a catalog addressed to a former resident here on Anita Drive and I was flabbergasted to see this phenomenal recipe for 'Candle Salad, ' which is not only sophisticated in appearance, but made of the grossest things possible and arranged in such a way that no one but a monkey could enjoy/could miss the not-so-subtle symbolism.
I am attaching the recipe below. Perhaps you may consider it a Christmas present. Enjoy!

Candle Salad, A cute and festive holiday treat.

2 bananas
lettuce
4 slices canned pineapple
4 orange gumdrops

Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese
2 TB sugar + 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Blend the filling ingredients together with a mixer.
Peel the bananas, cut in half crosswise and remove the tips.
Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates.
Place a pineapple ring in the center of each plate.
Fill the center with filling.
Place a banana upright in the center of the pineapple ring.
Top the banana with a gumdrop "flame."
Squeeze a little filling onto the tip of each "candle" to represent wax.

POST POST POST + DECEMBER 6, 2010

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, y'all have been in my house, eaten my food, and looked at my work. I have met people that I should have known for ages and some folks that should be committed. All in all it has been tremendous and fun fun fun. But life is different now and we will have to all get together in the future under different pretenses. I am thinking pre-SXSW, but more on that in a bit.

I cannot really explain how much I enjoy E.A.S.T. It is the only opportunity that I have all year to share my work and talk to people about what I do. It's actually the only time of year that I am surrounded by art nerds and I love love it. Art nerd me up.

I was interviewed for a podcast (hear it here, ffwd to a smidge before halfway...) by two lovely folks, Arthur Simone (a local actor and comedian) and Adrienne Breaux (a writer for Apartment Therapy), and was included in a bike tour that the Austinist was kind and classy enough to put together, though I believe my dearest friend Adam brought the most people all at one time. Many handsome men on bikes. Oh man, that Adam always knows the right thing to do. Helluva guy.

Some things flew off of the walls- mostly small things and a painted chandelier (seen above) that was in dire need of leaving for quite awhile. And I did sell a few of the big paintings though I am starting to amass a huge collection of work that has nowhere to go. Contact me to move some.

I met some super fun gentlemen from Chicago, who insisted I spend more time there and show-- so I'm coming! On my way, guys. I adore Chicago- everyone's so lovely and friendly and Southwest flies right there... Slade and I should get back and have very dear friends there. And I suppose that I will have more of a chance if I have to sell work on the trip. Hurrah.
(But seriously- shout out to Wiggy- you are FUN. Come back to Austin!)

Met an adorable couple that are friends of friends and now my friends- because I am kind of in awe of them... Anne has a website called Wedzu that is crafty and beautifully done ("indie and handmade weddings") and Brett is an amazing photographer- has a really intense series on immigration.
Below I have lifted a screenshot and a banner from them. Because this is what I'm good for: rhymin' & stealin'.

I was featured on a friend's jewelry blog, Frost Yourself, which can be seen here. It's a cute and fresh take on jewelry and I do like her addition of worthwhile DIYs.

And of course I do appreciate the shout out and the flower necklace gets me more attention, I swear.

So look... it's me.

We met the couple that own the unit next door (no 203.) It's a furnished rental and is a steal at $129 to $179 a night. My intention is to rent their unit for next year's EAST so that I am attached to the same building and have access to the same phenomenal wall space, lighting & central location, but am able to live my fine life over here in 78704. Need to get those dates for next year. Let me know if you know first.

Also met the handsome couple that will be moving into our space at the beginning of this month. He works for the fire department and she paints. I hope that they have the time of their lives! It is such a fun place to live and I will no doubt miss it.

Met a really great guy (and his gorgeous girlfriend) who works at Whole Foods and makes mobiles. I have actually had them on my mind so much that I took my Calder book out. Its probably lame that he is my only mobile reference, but there that is.

The most fabulous thing about pieces like these that balance in space is that when you look at them from a direct elevation view they are complete balanced positive/negative images as well.

I also really enjoy his two-dimensional work, this poster for the 1972 McGovern campaign.

My tiny chair works were a huge hit! I only had three different styles and a pretty limited palette, but it was encouraging and I will no doubt make a million more. People had an assortment of opinions on the chairs, on which chairs they liked the best, which one they wanted to sit in. It was cool and I will no doubt put a bunch of them on Etsy.

The Willie collages were very popular though I did have a great friend come in and snatch them all the first morning. I have commissioned several and plan to have a '50 Willie' party at the new house on Anita Drive. It will be a pre-SXSW celebration, when the weather is a smidge warmer and Mr Madden turns another year older.
We will invite art lovers from all over town and drink beer, BBQ, and laugh.
Let's all pencil in March 12th from 6 to 10pm. Do it.

Willie in the Jungle, Willie Underwater, Willie in a Cave, Willie in the Sky

As I said earlier, many things sold early on (such as the smallest chairs & Willie collages) and I have since started accepting custom orders for both with a very fast turnaround. Contact me about owning a piece from either series.

Skateboard works also flew off of the walls- perhaps it is just something about a skateboard... Contact me if you break a ton of skateboards or know where to get my hands on a bunch of them.

Willie on Fire

My fiance, Mr Madden, is in sales and could quite honestly sell ice to eskimos. It was nice to have him around both Sundays of EAST although sales were a smidge slow and he was a smidge bossy with me: I am not much of a salesman-- talker yes, salesman no. He was also proof positive in my ability to paint portraits. (Everything is intentional, ladies and gentlemen, or it at least should look that way.)

The Ann Richards School 'Happening' at Shoehorn was divine and successful. We were able to speak with so many of the girls and the parents about what they do at that school, how special it is, how special their artwork is. I could not have been more proud that to be associated with such a great deal.

We were open to receive other artists though very few showed. One of my most favorite local painters made an appearance and I was honored beyond words. Her work is magical and so eloquently painterly. It's Jennifer Balkan and she of course shows through Wally Workman. I was a smidge overserved and full of TheraFlu (more on that below) by the time she showed and I was just so excited to meet her.

I suffered from the very very worst cold I have ever had in my entire life during the second weekend of EAST and have only recently and mostly shaken it. I was miserable and up in the middle of the night to sit in the bottom of the shower and steam. I was full of TheraFlu for days on end, which as it turns out is crazy juice. Especially when mixed with a bit of vodka.
As of today I am back on a serious healthkick as I refuse to ever feel like that and also because I can feel it creeping back a bit. And I honestly cannot feel like that again. Ugh oh no!

My dear friend Brian Hull showed up for the second weekend of EAST to showcase some of his work with plaster, metal and wood. My favorite was his plaster bird that I would just love to see perhaps blue (?) and as a multiple. I think that they would look fabulous throughout a garden, maybe even suspended from a ceiling...

Have I mentioned MOVING?? Because we did! At eight in the morning following the last day of EAST. It was insane and I was super sick and exhausted, but the goal was to just keep moving & I have and feel like I am almost on top of all of it now, but *WHEW* that was awful. And I am sick to death of moving and having half of my stuff beaten to pieces.

The new house affords me tons of space to work & stretch out and while I have far to go with the development of the garage/studio space I am eager and excited. We have a garden and a large yard for the dogs to run around and act crazy in- though mostly they have taken to taunting the neighbor dogs and eating pecans, shells and all.
Slade has also gotten pecan fever, having already made a from scratch pecan pie, which was delicious and I often hear the voices of people on their cellphones picking up pecans from the front, a mere two or three yards from the door.

We have picked up a super fancy, Chinese made Texas Two-Step Nut Cracker and a nut picker upper that looks like a slinky on the end of a cane. Still seems easiest to me to gently step on a pecan until it cracks and then peel and eat. I could have just saved you $35 by handing you one of your shoes.

We are in a neighborhood of happy couples and happy dog owners. Quirky, but clean Austin-ey houses and the first time that I saw the beautiful little blonde boy next door he was following his dad around the yard with a fancy black moustache attached to his upper lip. Just jammin around in costume. That's grand, no? Perhaps he imagines himself to be in a barbershop quartet.

I have been painting the front door bright red and it has been a nightmare, but I was lucky enough to quickly create a headboard for our bedroom with minimal time & money spent because any headboard is better that no headboard and it will just have to do until we get something fantastic behind our bed.

Mr Madden fixed us an entire lavish Thanksgiving Day spread and then that evening we went to the Texas/A&M game at UT and had a blast- sat with the players families and enjoyed a great game that we unfortunately lost in the end. It was super blustery cold, but worth it and I am happy that we did make it to so many games this year.

In this current state of semi-settled, I have lots of work and I am so happy to have it! All the while I have been planning our Christmas cards and trying to get those in the mail ASAP. I feel like we're always at the post office!
They're a smidge bizarre, but who cares, whatamigonnadonow, you know?

Many are ready to go and we have ordered a ton, what with the cards being a two-fer and serving as change of address cards as well. I'm just glad that after planning them every year for years now and never ever actually getting them out, that we are in fact sending them. Kudos to us.

I have found the work of Tanja Selzer and I am in love with the way that she paints people and animals and fire. They are created from a barrage of daily media images and I would gladly own any of them at all. Simply gorgeous.

But the way that she paints... Its like an entirely different life for oil paint-- so divine and thin, washy, amazing. And her colors are so gorgeous and read rich. And then there are all of the drips and movement of her brush, which is both beautiful and violent.
I am guessing that they are oil on canvases, if that is indeed what 'Öl auf Leinwand' means.

And oh my goodness! Some big dumb jerk arrested Willie Nelson again. What is this world coming to?! And how the hell do we get Willie Nelson some goddamn amnesty?

This is not a picture of MY Willie Nelson. That's the saddest damn Willie Nelson face that I have ever seen in my life and it just breaks my heart in two. Y'all better cut this crap out. I'm serious. This really makes me angry.
And let's get our hands on the arresting officer's home address. His neighbors should know that he hates Willie Nelson and Texas. He's probably in the Taliban.

I am off later in the month to Seabrook Island, South Carolina, which is located about 45 minutes outside of Charleston. Though I have not yet been to Seabrook, I have plans to go back repeatedly as I had previously fallen in love with Charleston & Pawleys Island. I will have a busy Christmas season with my mother though, planning a Spring birthday party for my father, John Harloe, as well as all of the planning for my wedding that we really must begin to do.

My mother passed to me her love of cooking though her gift is truly her eye for entertaining, for setting a beautiful table, for serving several beautiful plated courses.

We have begun testing all sorts of recipes and have both begun to oven bake assorted fruits for centerpieces. Aren't these lemon slices fabulous? I believe that I heard something about hanging them from from branches with raffia. I think that they're gorgeous just as they are.
As I type I have small Granny Smith apples and a grapefruit in the oven...

This is the fourth year that we are celebrating the season with a wrapped cactus that we got from our friend Adam, so the cactus is named Adam as well. He weighs about 4 million pounds and I bleed everytime that I string lights on him.

I love this guy very much, but mostly because he is seemingly indestructible. And because he looks great all lit up, just like me.

'Tis the season.

And so we locked the house on 5th Street for the very last time a few days ago and I knew that it would be a long time until I saw this view again. It made me sad because I did adore that place and such fabulous things happened to me there.

But then I consider that it will be a long time until I see any homeless people pissing on my doorstep, passing out in the street and 'Farewell La Trampa! I feel like I hardly knew ya!' And Cisco's: Every future hangover mourns the distance that now exists between you and me...

Have been completing questionnaires for HS students lately. Not sure why but they make me feel like I'm back in high school. And I have been making a very big effort to answer questions in complete sentences because this time I'm getting all A's.

I have much much work to do over the next two weeks and stockings & ornaments to complete and even begin. And I do have new watercolors, so there is always that.

PS Do you know what you find if you go to anja.com? Well its THIS and I am affiliated in no way.
But that sh**'s funny. And for real: the internet is FILTHY.
( I blame Al Gore.)

PPS I have a secret. It's nothing as dirty as anja.com, but I cannot under any circumstances stop listening to Big Boi's Sir Luscious Left Foot. I'm obsessed and sometimes when I look at some joker in the street I think to myself 'you ain't no dj' and that's ridiculous. He played two nights ago and we missed it.

Happy December, y'all! Let's bang this month out fast like-- like ripping off a bandage.

CACTUS CHAIR/BEST TATTOOS 05.27