Semi - DIY

We encourage art, handmade and cooperative projects around here. This DIY/IKEA hack was my suggestion but Ben is doing all the work on our Custom Lack coffee tables.

Ben's work, partially complete

 I've seen similar tables with the legs custom painted before but I really wanted a personalized piece of family furniture where one of Ben's drawings could take center stage so I asked him to draw on the stop of stackable IKEA tables. (I think they're $7.99 each.) We can use one or both put together or stack them in a corner when we don't need them.

Ben did a quick sketch and set to work. He lightly sketched a basic outline with pencil right onto the tables. It was his idea to have the design work all the way across two tables so they look like one big drawing when placed side by side (see photo 4). They're a very dark brown but "read" as black so we chose white, oil-based, fine point, Sharpie paint pens which have a great finish and give him a lot of control. 

When they're complete we're going to coat them with a matte varnish so the paint doesn't scratch. A friend also suggested having a piece of glass cut to fit the top if you are going to stack them and want an upscale, shiny finish.

Have a great weekend! 

Take me to your leader

I often have "assistance" in the studio. My youngest son is most interested in polymer clay. He seems to understand that it can be almost whatever you want it to be and sees it as the first solution to every creative urge .

I've started buying him his own clay after he came to me one day and said "oh by the way, I used all of the Premo black...does that matter?"

This was his idea. I helped work out the kinks.

Magnum Opus and Free Shipping

For the past several weeks I've been focused heavily on my kids. We are winding down our school year finishing research papers, web design projects and that very last unit in the math book. I have observed that math becomes increasingly difficult as the weather outside improves.

I can end up feeling creatively foggy during this process. There isn't time or energy left at the end of the day for my artwork. Work begets work apparently and I only have new ideas when I am also actively creating. You can see where I go from here..."I will never have a good idea EVER again! Waaaaah!"


(Driving on a Friday Evening by my daughter, Ema)

I checked out my daughter's new blog the other day. Have I foolishly been stumbling over my own magnum opus? The raising of children is such a large creative endeavor that its hard to see the beginning and the end all at once.

Nothing changed - except my attitude. But that's made all the difference.


(All photos above are my daughter's. She just shot her second wedding. When I was seventeen I babysat to make money!)

To everything there is a season. I'm looking forward to getting into the studio again soon with the energy of the accomplishments of our school year at my back and a long summer ahead.

In celebration - FREE shipping through May 31.

Far away...but not so far

My friend Jacques lives here but his brother lives in Haiti where he runs an orphanage and we have waited over the past week while the string of news has trickled in.

The children are safe.
Jacques' brother and his family are safe.
They got a few day's supply of food.
And finally, Tuesday, they are all moving into a more secure location in the countryside.

Jacques is unable to take money to his brother right now. So he, like the rest of us, waits and prays that the large aid organizations and military get what they have to the people who need it.

My eight year old asks "if our army knows now to take care of people in emergencies why don't they just do that all the time instead of going to war?" So I ask, "Samuel, will you please be president someday?"

Support for the orphanage has been done pretty much by word of mouth up until this point and there isn't a web location where I could point you you could donate. If you haven't done so and would like to help I can, however, recommend World Vision - they have an excellent financial responsibility record and already had people in the country when the earthquake occurred.