the wit and wisdom of whirleygirl

(introducing hugo, 6 X 8, acrylic)

Meet Hugo! Isn't he cute?? This was a little gift i painted for a friend of mine who just got a new Great Dane puppy - Hugo! So fun to paint! You know in my opinion, if you don't have a dog or kitty yet, you really should get one (or both!) - what these beautiful creatures add to your life is incredible!

Chicago Canine Rescue is right around the corner from me, and Gilbert (the dog) and i pass by there as we take our daily stroll - we always run into the sweet volunteers that are walking the dogs that are for adoption - so cute! Go love an animal today! Woof! Meow! 

"The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration."

~Frida Kahlo

 

Oh, how i heart Frida Kahlo - as a woman and as an artist!

  

(Little Lady Loving Frida Kahlo hand painted mirror, $45)

Here is an ode to her from my

"Little Lady Love" mirror collection!

It is inspired by her self-portrait entitled "Self Portrait with Monkey and Parrot" as well as how i imagine her in my head....She has always inspired me as an artist - her color choices, her imagery, and most importantly, the honesty that comes through her work.

who inspires you?

 

(orange blossoms with zigzag vase, $35)

it was a great weekend - hope all had the same!

Chicago Cares Serve-a-Thon went great - i will share more details and pictures of the mural sometime this week - it was truly, without a doubt, a fantastic experience!

Went to Old Town Art Fair and wanted to share wit you some artists i am now very geeked out about!

(please check out their websites and drool away!)

- Purchased the most perfect "ninny" painting from and was so excited to meet Lynn Whipple! I have admired her art for years and it blew me away to meet her and see her art in person! seriously, i think i was a little bit of a spaz...

-Saw Heinrich Toh's work for the first time. !  I adored all of his pieces (and seriously regret not buying one there) and he was quite the character as well...he wore such fancy shoes! He also analyzed my dream and mentioned i might have been a prawn in a past life - haha! You will see for yourself on his site but his mash-up concept of collage and printmaking works effortlessly.

-My friend bought the most amazing bracelet from Connie Verrusio. She is one of those individuals that literally turns discarded materials into fabulous art in the form of jewelry. Bravo!

-Chris Plummer - very talented print maker focusing on hand cut wood blocks - has a hip edgy to his art and is a little moody as well.

-Lastly, Betsey Youngquist. Her creations are freaky and magnificent all at once -Fabulous!

Hope you are as inspired as i was!

 

organized chaos. that is my studio right now..but if there is nothing else i have learned in the last 9 months, a fabulous outcome can come out of a mess!!

MAJOR shop update this week - lots of new ideas that i have brought to reality..above is just a little sneek peek of some items in progress i am excited to share!

until then, here are some of my recent favorites (click to see):

-my new favorite shoes - i highly recommend everyone own at least one pair of Danskos!

-my current sweet tooth delight: rolos - the perfect candy. You should try to make these - kind of a "poor mans turtle" - delicious!

-this hilarious blog post - if you go to starbucks, you can relate..

-loving this etsy artisian- the capricorn necklace is on my list!

-gilbert the dogs new favorite - collecting sticks. seriously. every walk he finds one and carries it proudly the entire time. neighbors have questioned the random pile if sticks at my front door. :)

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I ate way tooooo much but had a great time with family and friends that i am VERY thankful for....and today i returned to a very SNOWY Chicago today!! After taking the dog for a snow filled walk, i made a pot of turkey chili - the perfect way to spend the first wintry evening!

Now to catch up on all that is good!

*For the rest of this week, ALL of my dress-up picture frames in the etsy shop continue to be 15% off. Remember , to guarantee delivery before Christmas, all orders need to be place by December 12th!

* Reading... "The Late Bloomers Revolution"  by Amy Cohen - cute, slice o' life.

*Listening to Pandora Radio on-line- not a new site but one that i love! You can pick a musician and Pandora magically plays songs by that artist and others with a similar sound. It's a great way to discover new music..(In my mix now...Muse, Regina Specktor, Q-Tip...and yes i will admit - Pink :) )

*Savoring over...this Butterscotch concoction (via the fabulous Bakerella)

* Adoring...the colorful prints by artist (and fellow etsy artist) Nancy Tobin.

Let me know what you are loving today! Have a great week!

Have you been watching the Olympics? I love the fact that there are those that are so stoked that the summer games are going on and then there are those that don't even realize they are going on. I'm a definite fan. Wasn't always but I was sent to work at the 1996 summer games in Atlanta (don't laugh but i was security AND i drove IOC members around....the fact that i was any sort of security is humorous enough - but if you have ever driven in a car with me you know that is a sitcom segment waiting to happen!!) Anywho, after that summer i had a totally new appreciation for the athletes - their determination, their will, their strength - absolutely awestruck. I love the mindset of an individual who puts themselves out there and tries their very best no matter what the outcome may be. What is even cooler to me are the Paralympic games that follow the regular games - these games  don't get the same coverage but I feel these athletes are even more inspiring (if you can imagine that!) Keep your eyes open for whatever t.v. coverage they may get this year - time well spent!

I know i shouldn't be encouraging children to watch more t.v. but i think there is so much to gain by a child understanding all that the Olympics are - from unity to achievement - and everything in between.

Parents magazine has a cute idea for an Olympic themed party for kids  - here is the link.

Or...make your own gold medal..here's a link to a snazzy how-to!

Personally, if i were to have a medal made for my achievements, i think i'd go for one made out of something deliciously edible and sweet - perhaps a chocolate chip cookie...hmmmm...what would your medal be made out of ? :)

Gold medal or not - we are all superstars!

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. - Mark Twain

Isn't that a good quote? It was in an email from someone to me that i opened right after a very discouraging phone call. Perfect timing i would say, SynchroDestiny as Deepak Chopra might say. Any which way, it was a good reminder not to let others get us down ...especially when you are reaching a personal goal. ( and running a small but mighty business ;) )

So get off your booty, go live your dreams and make life happen - no matter what another might think or say - you CAN do it!       You know why?  Because...............................................................................................

YOU ARE FABULOUS!!!

Speaking of fabulous, congratulations to Mary J. for being the July giveaway winner! Your fortune cookie painting will be on it's way shortly.........

The nose knows...

that it is summer!!

I love the smells of summer - seriously - no "fresh cut grass" scented candle can mimic the real stuff. I lurve it....

I can't remember if i have put these nose-y switch plate covers in the spotlight before but they are a fave of mine - so fun to paint and i think the concept is pretty hilarious, if i do say so myself!! :)

Other things that are making me laugh these days:

* have you seen these high heeled shoes for babies??

*how to turn your ordinary hard boiled egg into a fish!

*the latest season of Kathy Griffin: my life on the d list on Bravo

*Mattels new Barbie inspired by Alfred Hitchcocks "The Birds"

Must try these soon: how to make a homemade ice cream drumstick

Have a happy summersniffing day!

Where do you create?

I've always loved to peek in to other people homes, studios, and little spaces that they've carved out and call their own. I've always felt that when you walk into someones home, you should be able to tell who lives there. Our homes should tell the story of the person/people who live there - no matter if it is a teeny rental or a gigundous mcmansion. In my opinion , i think it is one of the hardest things to so because decorating our own home is SO personal! It is hard to be true to yourself when there are so many fabulous magazines and catalogs that show us all the newest, greatest, and oh so fantastic rooms and furnishings.... wait a sec, I think i've officially gone off on a tangent ! :)  On a smaller scale - thinking of just one special spot - where do you create?

I HEART checking out studio spaces of other artists and creators of fab things. It is fascinating to see in what environment people create in - personally, my lil' studio is what i like to call "organized chaos" - the walls (at least the parts that aren't covered up with all my crazy stuff) are school bus yellow and there are three tabletop work areas that are ALWAYS covered with projects and stuff. But you know what? - I can find every little thing i need at a moments notice . I find the piles of paint tubes inspiring and the stacks of paper that hold all my random ideas make me smile in excitement. Sure, i imagine the day that my studio is crisp, white, and natural light filled...organized shelves all around me holding all the tools that allow me to create in the most eye appealing containers with stylish labels...but for now, i look forward everyday to go into the little crazy and chaotic room that is my studio.The place where i can whole heartedly create pieces that so many enjoy. *sigh*

The magazine cloth,paper,scissors has a great special issue out now that is called Studios:A spa for the creative soul. I highly recommend! It is full of so many great studio spaces  - talk about inspiration! I'm on my second read of it now and am still finding so much in all the pictures - love it! When you have a sec, Google around on-line  and take a peek at so many wonderful artists that have shared pics of their studios on-line - trust me, you'll get a jolt of creative inspiration!

Getting things done!

This is the week to get things done!! Yes, yes, every week is a week to get things done..BUT this week is my goal to get all those little things (and the not so little things) done that have been hanging over my head. I wouldn't say that i procrastinate as much as my ability to prioritize things day to day can be a little out of whack. When you run your own business, it is so important to stay on top of EVERYTHING...easier said than done - but that is why it is good to allow yourself a catch-up day (or week) every now and then. I found this great resource to Mind Tools - Essential Skills for an Excellent Career (via http://startupkidsline.com/  - thanks for the resource!)) and found quite a bit of helpful info! Check out their suggestion on "to-do" lists - so  basic yet so genius....

So besides the mind tools,and the adrenaline of just wanting to get things done, i've got the coffee flowing and music going. Current go get 'em soundtrack in the background - Mark Ronson's  album  Version ...so fabulous - i highly recommend if your ears are ready for some happy bouncy tunes!

Have a great happy and productive day!

oh.. and because every highly productive mind needs a little break now and then.... LOVING "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (excited for first book club meeting!!) and when i need a little artistic inspiration... who better than the blog of the crafty chica herself!