angela bentley fife's artworld:: December 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Christmas Craft Number 1

For Christmas for the Grandparents, my sister had the genius idea of buying them a tree and having the grandkids make ornaments for the tree. Every year they will add to the tree. I enjoy art craft way too much. So we made a little salt dough, sculpted it (the muses really did their own faces), ok not the baby, baked them to oblivion, then painted and sprayed them. I am actually in love with these and my kids want to do more. Maybe I will have them do sculptures of me and the husband. They are about the size of a mini cutie orange. Seriously, baby muse was much too enjoyable for a 30-something mother of 3 to sculpt.....2nd grade anyone?

Friday, December 5, 2008

Paper Paintings

Everyone seems to be doing 'small works shows', so I finished these small paintings on paper for Pickett Fairbanks Gallery. I have been so busy, like everyone else I know, and had procrastinated so long, that I started these on Tuesday to finish, frame and deliver by Friday. Do oil paints even dry in 3 days? No, I don't think so. But, it is what it is (my dad's new favorite saying). So, I figured the best chance I had of being able to crank out 3 paintings was to paint on paper. I love painting on paper. It somehow has a totally different feel. It feels loose, and sketchy somehow and I love to see the pencil lines under the thin washes of paint. And I don't understand how, but they dry faster. They almost look like watercolors. And they are fast. I had to work from photographs seeing as almost everyone I know either has plans or real jobs. So I dug into my stash of past photos and found some good ones. I was pretty happy with my resourcefulness and delivered my paintings a day early, on Thursday, to find out that the gallery in the avenues is closing at the end of the month. My first casualty of the recession I figure (other than slow sales). It has been a pleasure to show with such amazing artists there and hope to find another gallery in Salt Lake that I can be as proud of.....Thanks Lane and Zach for inviting me.

What I Saw this weekend

'The King's Speech'......I was completely enthralled with this movie. Enthralled like I forgot who I was and where I was. About half way through the movie I had a few seconds of clarity and remembered I was at a movie theater in the year 2011 and I looked over at Mr. Fife to see if he was enjoying Collin Firth as much as I, and he was sound asleep.......wha, wha. Oh I married my opposite. I guess I need to escort him to a top 5 Hollywood action flick, preferably starring Mark Whalberg. I concede.

what I read

'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'. So I just started this today, but I am fascinated! If you don't let yourself get offended or sensitive about your own mothering, this book is an amazing view into another way of parenting, another culture. This is a book club read, so our discussion should be intense. I don't know any other subject that gets women as riled up as attacking our mothering. Which is obviously why this book is so controversial. If you live under a rock and haven't heard of it, the author writes about "chinese mothering", including no playdates, no cell phones, no sleepovers, never any grade other than an A, never 2nd in anything academic, no hobbies. I might feel like a horrible mother, or a great mother after this, I don't know yet. Here is a quote I chuckled at "My children can do something with their free time, but nothing like crafts, that leads nowhere or drums, that obviously lead to drugs." (I can't tell if she is being sarcastic, but somehow I doubt it). btw, crafting is like the best thing I do as a mother.......me no tiger mother I guess.