portraits: week 11

Family Portrait Style: The Percifuls.  Family portraits are an interesting thing - they are a mix of different personalities, different expressions, and different demeanors.  You also have the setting to think about - what setting would best describe this family?  Are they all wearing the same color?  Should they be posing or caught in a natural situation.  It is all very interesting.  Marissa and Jordan Perciful are two of my favorite-ist people...they are two of my best friends.  They have recently (4 weeks ago) expanded their family to 3 with the addition of baby Lucy.  They are a family that is joyful: for new life, a comfortable home, and a healthy family.  I was just trying to capture their joy along with their unique personalities. 

its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love Christmas time: Christmas music, Christmas decorations, Christmas smells.  I have already started listening to Sufjan's Christmas albums and bought quite a few presents, wrapping paper, and lights.  This window display at Scout made me very happy.

portraits: 10

There is this beautiful little bird that flits in and out of my daily life.   She wears beautiful colors and smells of flowers.  Mon petit oiseau is Miss Ashton Balinger.  She dresses in the most beautiful things - lovely little dresses, dainty high heels, and feathers in her hair.  I like to watch Ashton leave or come home from work.  This is where the bird part comes in - she quickly passes through the living room, layers of fabric flowing behind her, clicking across the hardwood floor, and leaving a wave of floral scents behind her.

dirtying up the classroom

Sometimes the best part of my days are spent with people who can't read, can't tie their shoes, and are missing half their teeth.  Some of the most frustrating part of my days are spent with these people. But they are my little people and I love them.  They have the most fun when they get messy, and subsequently get me and the whole classroom messy.  At least "dirtying up the classroom" in art means that it just gets more colorful (I just have to wash off/out this kind of color...).  Hmmmm....getting your hands dirty....creating almost without thinking....sounds like something us big people should try too.

harriet the spider

here is a poem by Margie and me about this photograph:

Harriet the spider sometimes gets sad.
Placed next to the flowers,
she fades out of focus.

She goes a long time
without other spiders.
All she can see are the flowers all around her.
There are so many and they are all so beautiful.

She wonders if anyone will ever
think she is so beautiful;
Shining bright in the sun and
smelling sweetly in the breeze.

Standing on the edge of a pedal
Harriet thinks about her self.
"If I were a flower, then I would be happy."
...she tells herself.

But harriet doesn't know that she is lovely.
There are other spiders in the world that are lonely like her.
If only they could all be friends.

Today, she decides that she isn't lonely after all.
The flowers can be her friend.
Together they can make an even more beautiful picture.

portraits: week 10

Matt Jackson. What to say, what to say? Matt is a character in the very best sense of the word. He is a jokester, an entertainer, a comedian.  He is our resident DJ, our Captain Communicator, our faithful organizer, our team leader.  What would we do without Matt Jackson...I really don't know...probably not very much, probably just lame stuff. 

sufjan follow your heart

Oh Sufjan Stevens...how you entertain and enlighten us.  Not to mention, you have some dashing good-looks.  Jared, Margie, Matt and I drove up to Indianapolis last week to catch a glimpse of the boy-wonder and to experience first hand his artistry.  Our anticipation mounted ever higher as the day approached.  We were not disappointed.  Mr. Stevens put on a wonderful show.  It was full of space outfits, creatures, and celestial cities.  The decor and feeling of the show mirrored the artwork and tone of his newest album, Age of Adz.  Upon entering Indianapolis, we stopped for dinner (and celebration of Margie's 19th Birthday) at a funky little Thai restaurant, Siam Square.  Behind our seats, rested beautifully colored vases that reminded me of space helmets...which proved very inline with the night's theme.

portraits: week 9

This week's portrait is of one of my favorite Louisville-family members: Justin Sasse.  Justin has to be one of the classiest, most gentlemanly men I have ever met.  He is not only considerate of your feelings but is conscience of making you comfortable and welcome at all times. With a classic effortlessness he opens doors, escorts you in, and pulls the chair out for you.  He always gives up his seat, always says thank you, and always gives a killer smile (the kind where you are almost expecting a wink as well).  Justin is also absolutely ridiculous - and this is what I love most about him.

Justin also has a pretty snazzy job, where he works downtown 

and makes super-interesting installations.  Here are some images from his workspace.

portland rose garden

Sometimes, something is just beautiful.

can you count the birdhouses?

Being in California is always a beautiful experience for me.  The land changes so drastically and magnificently, the air feels fresh, and colors seem more bright.  But most of all, my family, the McStockers, make it beautiful.  Their personalities are as unique as the land and their home is as fresh and inviting as the climate.  Their Sacramento home is decorated beautifully - eclectic yet modern - it was like an oasis for me.  The postage stamp size backyard found room for the birds to find an oasis too.