This is why I love them.

My friend Gustavo Aimar just sent me this amazing video
and I just had to share it with you. Enjoy!

Coming & Going

It's not only a sight to behold, the sound they make is equally enthralling.
Like a gentle breeze.

Our future abode...

Manolo's sketches above and the computer drawn blueprints below.

If all goes according to plan we'll be moving in the beginning of June!

Jared Treasures

A little exercise in observation.
On the right, a watercolor version of my little jar of treasures.
A little branch piece covered in yellow lichen from Sweden, pebbles, seeds and tiny shells from Argentina, feathers & some sprigs from Canada,
and a couple of pretty red beans from yesterday's morning walk with Turbo.
Don't know why but I just *love* little things displayed in glass jars.

On TV

My "Lovebirds" wall art sold by Urban Outfitters is being used as set decor
in the TV series "The New Adventures of Old Christine" :)

I was contacted last year by Warner Bros. TV to give them permission to use it on set,
but I hadn't seen it since I don't watch much TV, but my friend and stamp carver extraordinaire Noelle let me know she had spotted them!

Here are a couple of screen shots from the TV show.

I know you can hardly see them, but I was so excited :)

Thank you so much for voting for me over at Poppytalk.
We are looking good!
The winners will be announced on the 5th of February.

And for those of you who wanted to know the identity of the birdies I spotted on my walk the other day:
1) American Kestrel - Cernícalo Americano
2) Lesser Goldfinch - Jilguero Dominico
3) Chipping Sparrow - Gorrión Ceja Blanca
4) Curve-billed Thrasher - Cuitlacoche Pico Curvo
5) Loggerhead Shrike - Alcaudón Verdugo
6) House Finch - Gorrion (o Pinzón) Mexicano
7) Vermillion Flycatcher - Mosquero Cardenal o Capiturrín
8) Inca Dove - Tórtola Cola Larga

Vote for me please!

I have been nominated for The Poppies over at Poppytalk in the
"Favorite Affordable Art" category. Vote here if you like.
Thank you! I really appreciate your support :)

Drying basil for yummy pesto on my favorite kitchen towel from Bookhou.

Great mail day!

I received a little box full of treasures from my super talented friend Gustavo today!
I painted the birdie above on one of the vintage papers he sent me.

Here are some of the contents of the little box o'wonders from Argentina.

Mil, mil gracias Gustavo!
And many thanks to all of you who helped me figure out
what birdies I found on my walk the other day!

Birds I saw today

Would you help me identify them?

Spotted!

My birdies are on the loose! ;)
We spotted them Sunday night when we went took Turbo for a stroll downtown.
That beautiful street is called Calle Libertad (Freedom St.).
It reminded me a little of Van Gogh's Café Terrace at Arles, France.

Hundreds of Thousands

We have the privilege of living right under the daily path of hundreds of thousands of birds (still haven't figured out what kind they are). They fly above us bound east at dusk and back home to the west at dawn. I finally got to film them yesterday afternoon.
Music: "Arietta" by Jan Garbarek
This one's for you Margie...

Approved!

The plans Manolo made of our new house were approved this week

which means we start building in a week!

These are a couple of photos I took from our lot, it has a really lovely view.

There are many native varieties of cacti and it so full of life!

Oh! and the birds! I must show you the birds! :)

Modern chick in the kitchen

This very modern chick was going to be on the cover of a cookbook,
but got axed at the last moment.
I might use it one day for a book I dream of making with my grandma's recipes.

Preliminary sketches.

Birdies on my mind

The work of these three talented ladies make my heart sing:
Fabric birdie by Ann Wood, watercolor sparrow by Diana Sudyka and albino jay photo by Diana Brennan.

And the winner of the giveaway is:

Nina Crittenden from Deephaven, MN.
Congratulations!!! Please email me your info so I can send you the cards!
Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments and for participating.
I wish I could send each and every one of you a boxed set :(
You guys make my day!

Daniel's paper models & a giveaway!

Since the other day when I posted a shot of my desk with the paper Turbo
Daniel has been wanting me to clarify that he didn't design that paper model himself, he downloaded this Lassie paper model and modified it to look like Turbo.
He also wanted me to tell you that he's got a website where he shares his own paper model designs with links to download, print and build them.
Click here to go check it out. He'll be thrilled that you visited him!

I just received a box full of samples of all the products that Galison is offering with my birdies. There's the Note Cards I had told you about before. The Christmas Parcel Notes that the very sweet & talented Tarsila Krüse spotted at the shop of the National Gallery in Dublin, Ireland. Thank you so much for letting me know Tarsila! And the new Tin Coaster Set. I was thrilled to see that Galison also contacted my Flickr friend Tiel Seivl-Keevers to make some products with her lovely designs! Congratulations Tiel!

Now the fun part: Please leave a comment with your full name, city & country
I will randomly select one of you tomorrow morning at at 10 am CST (which is Greenwich Mean Time -6) and send you a box of the Avian Friends Note Cards that includes 20 3-1/2 x 5" note cards & 21 envelopes, with 4 of my birdie designs. Comments will be closed at that time. Thank you so much for participating!

***Comments are now closed. I'll announce the winner later today :)

The Corner

I'll be back Monday with a giveaway and a special post about Daniel's paper models.

Have a great Weekend!

Pages and stuff...

New Year...New Journal!

I treated myself to a new 3.5 x 5.5 inches Hand Book Artist Journal in cadmium green & painted a little birdie on the cover with Pebeo Setacolor fabric paints.
I'll show you the inside tomorrow!
*Linen 2010 calendar from Linea Carta & linen wallet from Bookhou

First drawing of the year

A sketch of our cutie pie Turbo for an upcoming watercolor.
Daniel made me that Turbo paper-model for Christmas...I love it!