Geninne's Art Blog

My Lines Wander

2012-01-31T11:10:00.000-08:00

Dogwood Birdhouse. Sepia micron pen on paper. 6"x 8".

Lines

2012-01-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.
-Paul Klee

The Sea

2012-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Digital collage inspired by my beautiful collection of seaweed prints from the 1800s.

My Sticky Notes & Pocket Planner at the Fashion Valley
Anthropologie store in San Diego when we visited last October.
Seeing my birdies "in the wild" is always very exciting :-)

Sofia & Matteo

2012-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

A little birdie told me that Sofia & her three year old brother Matteo
are big fans of my blog and check it first thing every morning.
Sofia turned 11 yrs old last week. Happy birthday!
I am very honored! I made these birds just for them :-)
Big hug all the way to the Netherlands!

Happy Yellow

2012-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

For years and years I thought I didn't like yellow, but I was wrong :-)
It's impossible to not be happy working with those beautiful proteas on my desk.
I'm getting a batch of orders ready to ship and working on the cover of my book!
I'm not allowed to tell you the title just yet but it's about hand carved stamps
& it will be published by Lark Books in the fall. I can wait to share it with you!

Beautiful Ocala

2012-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

I fell head over heels in love with the majestic oaks covered in Spanish moss
and the gorgeous magnolias that were still in full bloom.
If it had been warmer those days I would have enjoyed my dad's salt water pool.

My Art on His Walls

2012-01-24T06:36:00.000-08:00

I was deeply touched to see so much of my artwork on my dad's walls.
If you click on the photo above it will take you to my Flickr where I've put several notes with descriptions of some of the pieces displayed on this wall.

I don't even remember when I made him those little faux terracotta pots.

This is an IKEA mirror that I covered with a mosaic made with egg shells.

I love how he displayed my painted goldfish on a fishbowl.

This kitty was his birthday gift last year. It sits on one of his office desks.

Most of the pieces were made during my school & college years.
I am so very blessed to still be doing what I love & forever thankful
to both my parents for always encouraging my creativity.

My Dad's Art

2012-01-23T07:52:00.001-08:00

I'm back home after a lovely visit with my dad & his beautiful wife Lizbeth.
I'm glad I took my camera so I could take photos of my dad's wonderful artwork.
The bird is a tribute to a beloved pet cockatiel he used to have.

In My Fathers House

2012-01-19T10:15:00.001-08:00

Hello! I'm blogging today all the way from my dad's place in Ocala, FL.

This letterpress tray is where he keeps his little treasures

including the pink duck safety pin that used to hold my cloth diapers! :-)

Can you spot it?

My Haven

2012-01-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

ha·ven
n.
1. A harbor or anchorage; a port.
2. A place of refuge or rest; a sanctuary.

Urban Outfitters

2012-01-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited about this one! My Walkabout print is available
at an Urban Outfitters near you in a beautiful painted tin frame
that really complements the colors of my artwork & has a lovely Mexican feel.
They carried pillows & wall art with my birdies before.

Winner!

2012-01-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

I asked my little buddy the vermilion flycatcher to help me choose a winner:
Katy from Bellewether in Missouri, USA!!!
Congratulations!
Please send me your mailing address as soon as possible
at geninne@gmail.com

Outside My Window

2012-01-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

My little friend the vermilion flycatcher
was having a yummy fly buffet this morning outside my studio window :-)
Thank you so much for the great response to the tag giveaway!
You still have today until 8:00 pm CST to participate.
And just so you know...I've read every single comment ♥

Tags Giveaway!

2012-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

When I prepare one of my watercolors to be a giclée for my shop
I do lots and lots of tests on my printer before I get the colors just right.
I've accumulated a big pile of discarded prints over the years
that I like to recycle into tiny booklets, bits for collage, buntings & tags.
I've selected twenty little tags from my stash to host a giveaway today!
Please leave a comment on this post to participate &
I will randomly select one of you tomorrow night
at around 8:00 PM Central Standard Time..
Comments will be closed at that time.
I will announce the winner Saturday morning :-)

***Coments are now closed. Thank you so much for participating!

I will announce a winner tomorrow :-)

Blue Opuntia

2012-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

New piece I finished over the weekend.
Watercolor on paper. 9" x 12"

Thank you so much to everyone that bought prints & originals yesterday.
It makes me so happy to know that my birdies are well loved ♥.

You Are a Part of Me 5/5

2012-01-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Last one in the series. Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper. 5"x7"

There are five new prints @ my Etsy shop including
my favorite three of the series "You Are a Part of Me"

This new watercolor/collage and a few more originals will be up for sale at my
BigCartel shop this afternoon at 5 PM Central Standard Time.

You Are a Part of Me 4/5 & more...

2012-01-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper. 5"x7"

...and the January desktop calendar for you :-) Better late than never, right?

Click on the image above to make it larger and download from there. Enjoy!

You Are a Part of Me 3/5

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper. 5"x7"
I will be selling the five original watercolors in this series at BigCartel
& my favorite three will be available as prints at Etsy
when I relaunch both my shops on Monday.

You Are a Part of Me 2/5

2012-01-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

Watercolor & acrylic ink on 5" x 7" handmade Saint-Armand paper.

My beautiful watercolor set. Schmincke Horadam Aquarell metal box with 48 half pans.

You Are a Part of Me

2012-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is one of five new watercolors in a series I call "You Are a Part of Me".
I will share the rest with you the next few days.
They'll be available for purchase when I re-open my shops next Monday.
They are painted on 5" x 7" handmade Saint-Armand paper.
A new free desktop calendar for the month of January
will also be available for download on Monday :-)

Last one...Maybe.

2011-12-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

Finished! This might be my last watercolor of 2011
...but who knows, I might have another one in me by tomorrow.

Birds & Butterfly

2011-12-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

A work in progress, a tulip & my beloved watercolor set.

Chincol

2011-12-27T05:24:00.000-08:00

A little birdie found in Chile called Chincol. Also known as rufous-collared sparrow.

That's little boy Reid looking at one of my birds.
Biggest compliment of my work I've ever received :-)

Porfirio

2011-12-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

It was my blog's sixth birthday this month!
I used to paint lots of kitties way back when I started the blog.
As a matter of fact my first post ever was a watercolor
of a cat sailing on a watermelon boat so it's only fitting
to share a new kitty here today.
His name is Porfirio and he belongs to my dear friend Georgina :-)
It's good to be back in the blog after a little break.

For You

2011-12-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

I made a pdf file with some tags & place cards for you!
All you need to do is download the file, print the page in card stock and cut them out.
I rounded the corners with a nifty corner punch & used a bit of hemp thread
for the tags. All you have to do with the place cards is cut them out,
fold them in half and write the name of your guest.
I'm hosting a family dinner tomorrow for 20 guests & these will come in very handy!
I hope you have a beautiful and joyful Christmas! I'm taking the rest of the week off from the blog to spend time with family.
Click here to download the PDF.

Unconventional Tree

2011-12-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

We decided not to get a tree this year
so I decorated our tumbleweed branch instead and I love how it looks!
I bought those tin stars in San Miguel de Allende ten years ago.
Ornaments have come and gone but I never get tired of the stars.

Snowflakes

2011-12-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

The elves (a.k.a me) have been cutting paper snowflakes all afternoon.
The beam still needs to be filled out with more snowflakes
but the elves were too tired to finish their job tonight.
Good thing they have all day tomorrow :-)

Butterfly Plate

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

I made a decoupage plate today!
I printed one of my watercolors on this water slide decal paper
and adhered it to the back of a little 5" glass plate I found at a Zara Home shop.
Once the decal dried and I got all the bubbles out I varnished the back.

Snowbird

2011-12-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Place cards & gift tags I'll be using this Christmas.
I'm making a pdf file that you'll be able to download next week
for your personal use :-)
In the mean time you can download the wonderful free
Christmas tags that Camilla Engman made right here.

On my Desk

2011-12-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Golden

2011-12-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

This afternoon was particularly sparkly.

Bits of Nature

2011-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

A small eucalyptus kruseana branch and 3 thistle stems
from this morning's walk with Turbo.
Always on the lookout for little things I can bring indoors.

Stickers!

2011-12-10T15:14:00.001-08:00

The Book of Stickers from Galison with my birds & flowers arrived yesterday!
I had a lot of fun decorating some gifts and letters for my family & friends with them.
This year I used little cuttings from my most prolific succulents
that can be planted in soil once the gift is unwrapped.

Puzzle!

2011-12-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

My super cool puzzle samples arrived from Galison this morning!
Daniel & I spent the afternoon putting the puzzle together.
The finished puzzle is huge! It measures 20" x 27"
We finished the easy part and we're now left with the really hard pieces
to work on over the weekend.
I plan to have this one framed to hang in my studio once we finish it.
Samples of the perpetual calendars & sticker books also arrived.
I'll show you those tomorrow :-)

Paparazzi

2011-12-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Having fun with my little red friend
who is getting used to having me around like an annoying paparazzi :-)

Happy, Happy

2011-12-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

I bought a BIG stretched canvas (huge compared to my little watercolors!),
new brushes & acrylic paints. I'm excited to get started.
The canvas is 1 x 1 meter (aprox. 3 x 3 feet) and the finished painting
will go up on our newly painted red hallway wall.

Self Portrait

2011-12-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Watercolor & acrylic ink on paper.
Progress shots here & here.

Weekend Musings

2011-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Took a nap, sorted books by color, watched the starlings pass by,
baked bread for my family, cuddled with my sweet dog,
knotted a macramé belt for my pet rock and laughed myself silly
with this hilarious video. How was your weekend?

Pizarrón

2011-12-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

I have a new blackboard to play with in the studio.
I used a leftover floor tile we had from the new tv room & painted it
with homemade chalkboard paint: 1 cup of black (or color of your choice) paint
plus 2 tablespoons of un-sanded tile grout. Recipe from here.

December Desktop Calendar

2011-12-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Download the new free desktop calendar from this link
or by clicking on the image below.

Hope you have a blessed month full of happiness, warmth and joy :-)

***The beautiful wool pine cones and linen fawn were handmade by Stephanie Congdon Barnes

Instagram

2011-11-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Snapshots of our home that I've taken with my iPod Touch camera.
You can see more at my Instagram feed.

Night & Day

2011-11-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

Acrylic ink on a dry rubber tree leaf (ficus elastica) & my lovely visitor
Mr. Vermillion Flycatcher.

Offline Life

2011-11-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

Our phone and internet died yesterday and won't be back up until who knows when.
Good thing about not having internet is lots of time to draw :-)
I'm having breakfast at a diner with Manolo and the boys
and the four of us are hooked up to a little device.
It's ok, we'll have plenty of time to talk and interact at home ;-)
Sepia micron pen on paper. 8 x 10 inches.

I Spied

2011-11-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

I spied all of this beauty yesterday afternoon while spending some time outside
with my furry boy Turbo & my camera (Canon Digital Rebel T2i).

Thanks

2011-11-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Faux Cyanotypes

2011-11-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

Making some Christmas presents for the family.
Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper.
Hope to finish these today. They are mini versions of this one.

Food Rules!

2011-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

When TLC Book Tours contacted me to see if I'd be interested in participating
in the blog tour of Michael Pollan's fascinating new book
"Food Rules: An Eaters Manual"
illustrated by the brilliant Maira Kalman I immediately said yes :-)
I've been a huge fan of Ms. Kalman's work for years now and I thought
it would be nice to share some of my favorite images from her books
& a few of my favorite food rules from the book with you:

Rule No.2: Don't Eat Anything Your Great Grandmother
Wouldn't Recognize As Food.
Rule No.24: When You Eat Real Food
You Don't Need Rules.
Rule No.56: Eat When You Are Hungry,
Not When You Are Bored.
Rule No.76: Place A Bouquet Of Flowers On The Table
And Everything Will Taste Twice As Good.
Rule No.78: Eat With Other People
Whenever You Can

"Food Rules: An Eaters Manual" is not only inspiring to look at
but it's also good for you ♥

Shower

2011-11-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

A baby shower invite for a sweet friend :-)
Initial drawing was made with a micron pen & final illustration
with watercolors on paper.

Vermilion Flycatcher

2011-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

My love affair with this little birdie continues ♥
It such a privilege to see him every day!

iPad Sleeve

2011-11-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

It's my beautiful son Daniel's 14th birthday today!
We plan to celebrate all day :-)
I also wanted to show you the linen sleeve I made for my iPad yesterday
using my own hand carved stamps and pigment ink pads.
I heat set the ink with a very hot iron. But I wouldn't use this method if it was something that is going to be washed regularly.
In that case I'd use ink pads that were made specifically for fabric.
Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Mi casa es su casa

2011-11-18T05:08:00.000-08:00

These are a few corners of our home I rarely get to see.
We have a guest bedroom and Manolo's studio downstairs.
Back in February I used that space for Angela's ACE Camps workshop,
remember? Photos here & here.

On my walls

2011-11-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

I realized yesterday that my inspiration board hadn't been rearranged in months!
So I dove into my magic Drawer No.2 and picked new inspiring loveliness to go up.

I'm always inspired by this beautiful fabric poster from Bookhou
& Cathy Cullis embroidered hearts.

My Cyanobird is in very good company with Gustavo Aimar's
papier-mâché birds and one of his tiny originals that I absolutely love.

Now Available!

2011-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Puzzle, Book of Stickers and the Perpetual Calendar
are now available at Galison!

Lavender

2011-11-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Had to paint a lavender plant for a commissioned job this morning.
Then I used it to play around in Photoshop to make this digital collage :)
The basket drawing is for the same freelance project.
I'll tell you more about it once the book is released next Spring.

Butterflies

2011-11-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

Turned a Sunday drawing into a pattern and made myself a pretty notebook.
Drawing was done with micron pens,
coloring pencils & watercolors on handmade Twinrocker paper.

Uppercase!

2011-11-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

My hand carved stamps tutorial was featured in issue 11 of Uppercase magazine!
Thanks Janine for the feature & for such a wonderfully designed layout.

Family Room

2011-11-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

There is a bit of remodeling going on at our blue house.
We're turning our covered terrace into a new family room!
Can wait to sit there & look at the starlings fly by in the afternoon.

Studios Magazine

2011-11-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

My cozy studio is featured in a five page article written by the lovely Linda Blinn
in the Studios, Winter 2011 magazine published by Interweave.
I pre-ordered & downloaded a digital issue for my iPad
because I was too impatient to wait for my printed issue.
All the other gorgeous studios featured in the magazine are so inspiring!
I just love peeking into the spaces where people create.
Thanks Linda for such a beautiful article! I'm very honored.
*These are some photos that didn't make it into the magazine.
I took them before I brought in the big shelving unit into the studio
and rearranged a bit. I'm always rearranging!
But it pretty much looks like that right now...only way messier ;)

Lazy Sunday

2011-11-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

A birdie I drew this past Sunday and
new art goodies I brought back from our trip to the US.
Daniel & I were like kids in a candy store at the Blick Art Store in Little Italy.

I ♥ Parakeets

2011-11-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that I had never painted budgies???
Watercolor & acrylic ink on a vintage photo frame. 4 x 5 inches.

November Desktop Calendar

2011-11-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

Download the new free desktop calendar from this link
or by clicking on the image below.

I shot the image I used for this month's desktop calendar at Alcatraz
during our recent visit to San Francisco.
Here are a few favorites photos I took on the Island.

Alcatraz Island
part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. San Francisco, CA.

♥

2011-10-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

My cactus grew a heart!
Thank you from the bottom of my ♥ to all of you who bought my art this year!
As I announced earlier I will be closing both my shops
tomorrow until early January 2012.
Last year I had too many issues with the unbelievably slow postal service.
I really need to take a break from selling & concentrate on creating
during what is left of the year.
Blog and other social media will continue as usual :)

Cactus Wrens

2011-10-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Micron pen drawing inspired by a recent visit to the Charco del Ingenio Natural Reserve in San Miguel de Allende where I spotted that beautiful cactus wren
& got savagely devoured by a hungry mob of mosquitoes.
*Note to self: remember to put on repellent the next time!

Twitter Giveaway!

2011-10-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

I've done Blog & Facebook giveaways before so now it's Twitter's turn.
Follow me on Twitter for a chance to win this beautiful painted tin frame
from San Miguel de Allende with one of my original watercolors inside :)
I'll choose a random winner from my followers this Sunday.

New for Galison!

2011-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

New collaboration with Galison for Spring 2012!
Available December 1st. at Galison.
I'll show you more pics as soon as they're available :)

Thank you so much to everyone that stopped by my Geninne's Originals shop!
I am overwhelmed by the kindness & generosity towards my work.
There are still a few originals that will be available until the 31st of October.

Sequoias

2011-10-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

The other place we totally fell in love with is the Muir Woods National Monument.
It was absolutely breathtaking & inspiring to walk amongst the redwood trees.
We even caught a glimpse of a very well camouflaged deer!
Can you spot it in the last photo?

Big Sur

2011-10-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I loved:
-all the different shades of blue
-being in & out of the fog
-the smell of the ocean & forest together
-the crisp morning air
-the silly sound the sea lions make
-the fresh baked goods at Big Sur Bakery
-the perfect cappuccino
-being with my family at such a wondrous place

Biggest Shop Update Ever!

2011-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

My biggest ever shop update tomorrow at noon cst @ Geninne's Originals shop.
Artwork will only be available for a week.
I will be closing my Big Cartel & Etsy shops from Nov 1st till early next year.

Flying Morran

2011-10-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Did you read about the Open Call Camilla Engman made for anyone that wants to illustrate her adorable dog Morran?
I've been a fan of Morran & her very talented human Camilla for many years
so I was delighted to hear about her idea for a book.

I was inspired by our recent visit to the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. to paint Morran like Snoopy's famous Flying Ace character :)

Ocean Treasures

2011-10-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

Big Sur is probably my favorite place on earth and it was so good to be back.
Our goal for this trip was to spend as much time as we could looking at the sea
and soaking in all of its beauty. I will share some more photos of Big Sur tomorrow.
Today I wanted to share some of the ocean treasures I brought back with me.
I bought these from a little shop at Seaport Village in San Diego.
I have a growing little collection of specimens that remind me of the sea at home.
My favorite is the tiny purple coral I got on this trip.
The color is just amazing and I couldn't resist doing a watercolor study of it.
I also got a sea star, two little mushroom corals and a small sea fan.

This is How it Goes...

2011-10-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

My birdies landed a new book cover!
"This Is How It Ends: A Novel" by Kathleen MacMahon to be released next Summer.
The cover was designed by the talented Kathleen Lynch.

It was great to be back home & bake bread again.
My favorite recipe is the no-knead method by Jim Lahey.

This is something I never thought I'd see...
Manolo & Turbo sharing the doggie bed in my studio. The furry kiddo won his ♥
I'll be back with more vacations photos tomorrow.

San Francisco

2011-10-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

The very famous Golden Gate bridge.

The Ferry Building.

Purple beauty on the grounds of Alcatraz Island

The Bay Bridge as seen from the Ferry Building at dawn.

The Bay Bridge as seen from the ferry to Alcatraz Island.

This is the only drawing I managed to make during the trip while waiting
for our delicious Vietnamese food at The Slanted Door.
These spring rolls where out of this world good!
I always bring my watercolors with me on trips
and never get a chance to use them so I left them at home this time.
This gorgeous tiny book necklace is from Antico Valore at Etsy.
It measures 1 x 1.5 inches and it's about an inch thick full of beautiful art paper.
I fell head over heels in ♥ with San Francisco.

We're Back!

2011-10-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

Trying to get settled again into our routine and going through lots & lots of photos.
It was an amazing trip up & down the beautiful coast of California.
We drove a little over 1500 miles (2,400 kms).
Ate amazing food & watched many beautiful Pacific Ocean sunsets.
Photo 1: Acacia blooms at the Golden Gate in San Francisco.
Photo 2: Redwood tree rings at Muir Woods Redwood Forest.

Tweet!

2011-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

I will be absent from my blog until the 19th but I'll be tweeting & sharing photos
from our trip on my Twitter, Facebook page and at the lovely Habit blog.

My good friend Oliver is using Mr. T as a model for some illustration work :)

Hasta la vista friends, see you in a little while!

Preparations

2011-10-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the amount of preparations needed to leave on vacations.
My cousin is dog sitting Turbo and I've been writing
"The Complete Manual for Taking Care of Turbo" for the past two days! :)

Plant Life

2011-10-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sakura Pigma Micron 02 pen on paper.

I will be posting photos of our daily life during this whole month
over at the lovely Habit blog. I hope you will join me there.

Juggling

2011-10-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I get the urge to juggle....for real.
Because in life/work I'm doing it all the time :)
I wanted to have a shop update with my stones and a few originals
before we left on a family vacation but I'm afraid I won't be able to
until we get back in a few weeks. This year I will close my Etsy shop
on the 1st of November and re-open it until Jan 2012. I'll have my Big Cartel shop open from the 24th of October till November 1st with hand painted stones & original watercolors. For all of you that have asked if I sell originals this is your chance :)
If you want to learn how to juggle, here's a fun video.

Power Line Flyers

2011-10-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Two beautiful videos I found on Vimeo that I thought you might enjoy :)

Mini Me

2011-10-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Made a mini-me version of my flying bird stamp with the left over scraps of pink stuff.

Some of you asked about the pretty tape with mushrooms on my inspiration board...
It's a beautiful Japanese masking tape I bought at this Etsy shop.

Take Flight

2011-09-30T04:34:00.000-07:00

My latest hand carved bird stamp. I used a Speedball Speedy-Carve rubber block instead of the Steadtler Mastercarve ones that I normally use
because they've been out of stock for months. Can't find them anywhere.
I'm really happy with the pink stuff. It works very well for detailed stamps.

Imaginary Sketchbook

2011-09-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Digital collage of my hand drawn birdies.
No glue residue in my hands with this one ;-)
There are lots of free digital collage images available on the web to play with.
A few wonderful resources I've found here, here & here. Have fun!

Outside

2011-09-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Fall weather is just perfect for being outside :)

Flower Garden

2011-09-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

My newest rock creation.
This painting on stones thing is becoming an obsession.
I can't have any rocks laying around in the house
without the compulsion decorate them.
I will list a whole bunch of them in my shop next week
in case you want to adopt one. They're taking over my studio!

October Desktop Calendar

2011-09-26T09:37:00.001-07:00

My second favorite month of the year is almost here :)
Download the new free desktop calendar from this link
or by clicking on the image below.

Tunic

2011-09-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went all Project Runway and tie-dyed some beautiful aqua
Globalweave linen I had stashed from Purl Soho and sewed myself a tunic
based on one I bought on Etsy three years ago from Linumgirl.
I eyeballed the pattern (I had never made a garment before)
so it's a little different but I'm really happy with my new hippie top.

Night Bird

2011-09-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Watercolor & acrylic ink on St-Armand 100% cotton handmade paper. 4 x 5 inches
Pretty lesser goldfinch I spotted this morning from the kitchen sink.

Salsa Verde

2011-09-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Photographic companion to the salsa verde recipe
I shared at Nate & Salli's They Draw and Cook.

The book is available for pre-order and will be out in October!
I made Manolo some 'huevos revueltos con nopales' (scrambled eggs with paddle cactus) which is a very traditional Mexican breakfast.
He ate them with my salsa verde & corn tortillas I warmed up on the griddle.

Roast the tomatillos, serrano chiles and cactus paddles in a hot griddle.

Finelly chop the onion and garlic

and give them a few wacks in the mortar and pestle to let all the juices out.

Once the tomatillos and chiles are cooked puree them using an immersion blender.

Put the tomatillo puree back in the mortar and mix with the onion, garlic and a handfull of fresh finally chopped cilantro.

Season with salt to taste and the salsa verde is ready!

Chop up the roasted nopales and mix them with two beaten eggs.
Season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture
into a pre-heated non stick pan with a little bit of oil.

It's very important not to overcook the eggs.

When the eggs are ready serve them with warm corn tortillas and salsa verde.
If you're not into paddle cactus like me,
you can scramble the eggs with sautéed mushrooms instead.

Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!

Decal Rocks

2011-09-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Made some stones using laser jet water slide decals I printed
with my artwork & varnished them with pva glue.
I used a 005 micron pen to draw all the black details
on the butterfly before I varnished it.

Extra Fancy

2011-09-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Playing with Lola (my dear sewing machine) this morning
making a patchwork cover for one of the inkjet printers in the studio.
I used a beautiful vintage rice sack cover my friend Diana gave me when she came down to Mexico in February for the ACE Camps workshop (thank you friend!)
and some lovely Bookhou fabric squares I bought from their Etsy shop.
The gorgeous fabric calendar in the first photo was a b-day gift from my very sweet
& generous friend Arounna. You can get one at her Bookhou etsy shop.
It's for 2012 but it's so beautiful I hung it right away. Thanks A! I love it!

Cosmos

2011-09-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

The first cosmos of the season just popped up & I'm always inspired by them.
The other pretty flowers are globe amaranth and not red clover
as I mentioned in my previous post (thanks Margie for your keen eye!)
Some of you have asked where I get those smooth flat stones...
Manolo bought two big sacks full of them for a project and ended up not using them.
Luckily for me because now I've got stones to paint for the next ten years!

Around the House

2011-09-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

1- On the wall next to where I have my computer
is a beautiful embroidered medicine shield Margie made
hanging from a colorful tin frame I found in San Miguel de Allende.
2- I love the window Manolo made on top of the sink.
Makes washing the dishes more enjoyable. You can't see it in this photo but the hill just outside the window is bursting with tiny wild flowers.
3- Red clover on the hill just outside my kitchen window.

Golden Orange

2011-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

1- New stone I painted with FW Pearlescent white
liquid acrylic from Daler Rowney which is very hard to photograph.
2- My sweet husband Manolo's gift for my birthday was this beautiful flat file cabinet.
When he organized his studio downstairs he took his beloved old flat file with him
and I was left with no place to keep my large sheets of paper
so he had this one made specially for my studio :)
The wonderful wood veneer lamp and plant pot cover are from Bookhou.
3- The hills are alive and covered in tiny specks of golden orange!
Which is why I ♥ this time of year.
4- Wild golden daisies are everywhere.

We Have a Winner...

2011-09-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Marilyn!!!
I've just emailed you the good news! If you see this first please contact me as soon as possible with your mailing address so I can have the package flying to you!
You have until next Friday to contact me.
If you haven't by then I will choose another winner from the comments.
Thank you so much for all your heartfelt birthday wishes,
it was even more special because of you!
I'm so happy y'all liked the fabrics!!!
I will let you know as soon as they're available sometime in the Spring of next year.
Love you guys! Have a great weekend! xoxo

A B-Day, a Fabric Line & a Giveaway!

2011-09-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
As you must all know by my multiple previous announcements ;)
that today is my 44th birdthday!!!!
And if that wasn't exciting enough I also want to show you
my new line of organic cotton fabrics in collaboration with Cloud 9 Fabrics!
The collection is called Alegria which means "happiness" in Spanish.
Available in the Spring of 2012 :)
I am incredibly honored to be a part of the Designer Series at Cloud9Fabrics. Michelle was like a dream to work with.
It has been a really wonderful experience that has been brewing for a whole year!
To celebrate I'll be hosting a fun giveaway bundle that will include a copy of this book,
a 6 x 6 inches watercolor/collage original birdie, three prints from my shop
among many other surprise paper goodies!
Leave a comment on this post with your contact info so I can find you if you win.
I'll pick a random lucky winner tomorrow morning when I wake up
& I'll announce it later in the day.
Happy birthday to all my b-day twins that read the blog!
***Anyone in the whole wide world can participate, I will ship wherever you are!***
Please comment just once, any duplicates will be deleted.

UPDATE: Comments are now closed. I will announce the winner later today.
Thank you so much for all thhe birthday wishes, I had the best day and reading all of them was a wonderful gift!

Studio Helper

2011-09-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Since last week I've had the privilege to have my son Israel (15 yrs old)
help me out with my Etsy orders once a week.
He's a hard working kid and I love spending this one on one time with him.
He's got excellent penmanship so if you receive a envelope from me
it will be addressed by him :)

If a Bird Flew...

2011-09-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just received my brand new copies of the third book
I illustrated for Eschbach in Germany!
The book is called "Kommt ein Vogel geflogen, Himmlische Grüße und Wünsche"
by Hanna Mühlbauer.
I think it translates to "If a Bird Flew, Heavenly Greetings & Wishes".
I don't speak German so correct me if I'm wrong ;)
I'll be back this coming Thursday to celebrate my birthday
with a giveaway that will include a copy of this book, a watercolor original
among many other surprise goodies!
It's going to be a good one, I hope you will join me.

Inspiration

2011-09-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't have to go outside to find inspiration.
1-Bluejay feathers from Margie's backyard.
2- My pretty succulents.
3-My Otchipotchi corner.
4-Potted succulents and stones in the studio.

Letter

2011-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Warbler

2011-09-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

A new little birdie for this sunny Thursday :)

A Good Year

2011-09-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

We've been living here for a whole year and made this house a home
with lots of love and hard work. What a difference a year makes, right?
Can you spot all the improvements?