A productive week is a GOOD week

This has been a good week.....carved some time to be creative, have gotten things at work that will further feed my spirit, and managed to send out a birthday greeting to my niece.

Started a 2 new paintings. The tree goddess above is called 'self-portrait. An imagery I considered as close to me describing myself as I could get. I see myself, act and make decisions that are inextricably connected to earth and nature or informed by the natural process of nature.

I also started a second painting I call, 'anticipation'. It's about human relations with mango trees. When I lived in South America for 5 years as a child we had a mango tree. I remember the feeling of anticipation and bottled excitement we experienced under that tree. At any moment one of those large fruits could be released and fall on the ground. But that was also a great thing, for nothing is as rich tasting, and sweet as a ripe mango.

Nora, my 3-year old also made a tree goddess. I will have to help you 'interpret' her work. In the middle to the left are her 2 legs. Shortly above that are her 2 breasts (yes, the 2 bumps you see). The head is squished in there for she ran out of room despite my manu attempts to warn her about her lack of space. You cannot change a 3-year old's mind....period. The 2 'arms' are coming from the body right above the breast. There are 4 'roots' coming from the bottom and the rock-like structures right below at the center of the tree are also roots, yet, she 'decided' to make them circular and not long....These are not yet done....we will paint them and I will post developments in a later post.

Nora and Luke went to a birthday party this weekend and as a treat they got lollipops. They both love lollipops. I came home from work to see that Nora had drawn lollipops in a dancer's hands. The ball on top of the person's head is a ballerina bun and the bundle beside her on the right is a bag of lollipops....I love this drawing.

Close up of lollipops......always love the decisive lines in kids' drawings......I could simple never reproduce it in the same way even if I try....and believe me, I have.

Before we began painting last week I researched online how mango leaves look like....These are Nora's mango leaves....I think it's quite good and different....sort of more like a mango flower.

At work I the HSA (the PTA) funding to buy these books that will not make my teaching evermore. It's amazing now much richer teaching, and especially art teaching can be with visuals....

My niece turned 20 this past week.....we got busy painting and making her cards....here are 4 letters that went out the next morning, with the painting I did for her of a cake.

I have these new water soluble oil pastels.....and they are so much fun to play with....below are 2 DC-inspired watercolor style paintings I did on 12"x18" 120 lbs. paper.

Nora has been going on and off on her princess days. Some days she forgets all about it and some days she goes all out.....This was an 'all out' day and Chris asked me to pleeeaase take a picture to send to his mother....Of course as a total photo freak I took 50.....she posed a different pose for each.....without my prompting....here is my favorite one...