Upcoming Show!!!

I am doing an invitational show next month at Kayo Gallery in Salt Lake City, and I have just finished all the paintings, 10 in all. My sister, Chelsea James, and I are each doing 10 paintings inspired by 'Childhood Memories'. It has been delightful reminiscing about my childhood as I have conceptualized and painted this series. I have remembered new things that I haven't thought of in 30 years. I will post the rest after the show opens October 19th.

 'Foothill Boulevard'

12x16"
This was our old stomping ground.... Foothill Village.

 'Lulu's Disneyland'

12x16"
My great aunt was one of the first seamstresses at Disneyland. It was beyond cool. She was tight with Walt. We would stay at her house and she would take us to Disneyland. It is still so nostalgic to me, my kids are completely sick of hearing me talk about it.

'Pile in the White Wagon'

16x16"
Memories of our great white wagon.

 "Old Scissors"

24x24"
We loved this old horse. They just don't make toys like this anymore. Probably because it is about the most dangerous toy we had. If you have ever ridden on one, close your eyes and imagine the sound....Scissors?

"Stop and Go, 5 cents each"

18x24"
As kids, we would sleep over at my Grandma's house all the time. She loves soda pop, and would let us take her empty bottles to the 'Stop-n-go' to return for 5 cents and use the money to buy candy. Best Grandma ever!

Spoils of My Garden

 I have spent the last few weeks preserving....for what? I don't know, the winter I guess. I am so sick of it, but not sick enough to throw all the tomatoes, peaches, pears, raspberries, onions, in the trash. Sometimes I wish I were heartless and could just throw out perfectly good produce, because it becomes hours and hours of work. I could not, would not bottle the produce this year, so I decided to freeze everything and I will say it was 10,000 faster and 5,000 times less messy!

From left to right, back row first... tomatoes (roasted, then frozen), "sugar peaches" (our favorite, peel, slice, treat with 'fruit fresh', add sugar...freeze), pear sauce (an invention of mine this year...we'll see if it works out), and raspberries (mashed and frozen for smoothies or ice cream sauce).

This is how I feel looking at my fruit trees and garden and imagining all the work I have ahead of me.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Grandma turns 100!

Grandma is doing quite well for 100. She is on no medication, drinks Coke every day and cannot live without chocolate. She has an entire drawer in her bedroom dedicated to candy. And it is a big drawer! It is reserved for herself, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. It is the first thing my kids do when we get there. We have lunch together every week, fried potatoes, Coke, dessert (rocky road or chocolate covered almonds...from Costco), and salad only if somebody makes her. She is still witty and sweet to all the kids. She is so much fun to still have around. Happy 100th Grandma!